To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of emerald ash borer
: a metallic-green Asian beetle (Agrilus planipennis) accidentally introduced into the U.S. and having a destructive larva that bores into the wood of ash trees
Examples of emerald ash borer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web But after the emerald ash borer, a green Asian beetle with a copper belly, decimated millions of ash trees, Church became an advocate for preserving a traditional resource.
—
Lily Katzman, Smithsonian Magazine, "Native Women Artists Reclaim Their Narrative," 1 Apr. 2020 Japanese beetles are only the most notorious with gardeners, followed by emerald ash borers.
—
Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, "Bonnie Blodgett: Living and (hands-on) learning with my Japanese larch," 16 Nov. 2019 The arrival of the emerald ash borer has killed hundreds of trees in suburban Maryland, providing woodpeckers with deadwood and also loads of grubs to feed on.
—
Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, "The percussive appeal of the woodpecker," 17 July 2019 The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said the state suffers from non-native species such as the emerald ash borer and green crab that have a negative impact on natural resources.
—
USA TODAY, "Oil train conversion, sit-in anniversary, Healing Garden expansion: News from around our 50 states," 25 Feb. 2020 The center aims to fight the state’s worst invaders, from emerald ash borer beetles to buckthorn.
—
Bob Shaw, Twin Cities, "U of M center battles hungry invasives," 2 Dec. 2019 Superstorm Sandy, as well as the emerald ash borer, whose larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, contributed to the losses between 2011 and 2017, the county report said.
—
Steven Litt, cleveland, "Where have all the trees gone? Cuyahoga tree canopy shrinks by 6,600 acres; Lakewood hardest hit," 26 Jan. 2020 Oxford has been spending about $150,000 a year on tree removals, mostly for damage caused by the emerald ash borer.
—
Gregory B. Hladky, courant.com, "There are millions of dead and dying trees in Connecticut, and cities and towns across the state need financial help removing them," 31 Oct. 2019 Despite emerald ash borer being found outside the quarantine area, that area is not expected to change for now, officials said.
—
Saja Hindi, The Denver Post, "The emerald ash borer, a tree-destroying beetle, confirmed in Broomfield County," 20 Aug. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emerald ash borer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on emerald ash borer
What made you want to look up emerald ash borer? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
May 2020 Words of the Day Quiz
- Which is a synonym of exiguous?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share emerald ash borer
Time Traveler for emerald ash borer
The first known use of emerald ash borer was in 2002
See more words from the same year