cutworm

noun

cut·worm ˈkət-ˌwərm

: any of various smooth-bodied chiefly nocturnal noctuid moth caterpillars which often feed on young plant stems near ground level

Examples of cutworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The tobacco cutworm’s native range is in subtropical parts of China and Taiwan. —

Elizabeth Anne Brown, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2023 Quick Tangent: The Bugs That Changed Human History Common lawn pests include cutworms, army worms, and a newer threat, the Japanese beetle. —

Brett Martin, Popular Mechanics, 21 July 2023 Watch for cutworm damage in garden. —

oregonlive, 1 July 2021 Control weeds, grasses, and debris in the vegetable garden that provide cover; hand-pick cutworm larvae after dark, using a flashlight to find them, if practical. —

oregonlive, 7 Mar. 2021 The omnivores eat many different foods, including whitebark pine nuts and army cutworm moths. —

James Leggate, Fox News, 10 Sep. 2020 The cutworm comes from a moth laying their eggs in the soil. —

oregonlive, 24 May 2020 Killing a cutworm with a trowel or farmer’s knife (Hori-Hori) will save woe in terms of labor and time. —

Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 17 Apr. 2018 Grizzlies, which are a type of brown bear, also like to spend their days turning over rocks in search of army cutworm moths. —

Jason Bittel, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cutworm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.