railroad worm

noun

1

[probably from its dissemination by railroad] : apple maggot

2

[from the rows of luminescent spots along its sides making it resemble a lighted train] : the larva or wingless female of any of several South American beetles (genus Phrixothrix of the family Cantharidae)

Examples of railroad worm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Because of these characteristic trails, apple maggots are also known as railroad worms (the name is more commonly applied to the larvae and wormlike adult females of Phrixothrix beetles). — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for railroad worm

• disaffirm
• ectoderm
• endoderm
• endosperm
• interfirm
• isotherm
• mesoderm
• periderm
• reaffirm
• affirm
• bookworm
• budworm