Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

corn borer

noun

Definition of corn borer

  1. :  any of several insects that bore in corn: such asa :  european corn borerb :  southwestern corn borer

See corn borer defined for kids

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?
alt-59245a1009b19
Trending: Brennan: Concerns of Russian Efforts to 'suborn'
image1694077559
Which Is The Correct Plural Spelling? (It's a Trick Question)
alt-592708149cf54
Don't Catch 'Flack' for Using 'Flak'

1861

First Known Use of corn borer

1861

Learn More about corn borer

  1. See words that rhyme with corn borer

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up corn borer? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

inanition

play

an exhausted condition

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. suborn "to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing"

  2. nutjob 'a mentally unbalanced person'

  3. collusion 'Secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose'

  4. counsel Is it 'council' or 'counsel'?

  5. witch hunt Lookups spiked after Trump used the word in a tweet

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-592708149cf54
Don't Catch 'Flack' for Using 'Flak'

How a word for antiaircraft guns came to refer to PR pro

image1694077559
Plural Words With Multiple Spellings

Multiple spellings for "multiple" words.

alt-5924736949123
Does This Common Computer Term Actually Reference Shoes?

These reboots were made for walking

alt-592453dea3986
Read on to Become Part of the Dictionary 'Illuminati'

Secrets will be revealed.

Ask the Editors

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

serial-comma
The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

peter-bruegel-tower-of-babel-painting
Where in the World? A Quiz

Do you know what languages these words come from?

Take the quiz
wide-eyed-dog-smelling-rose
What's that Smell?! Quiz

Words for odors and such...

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game