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Definition of shipworm
: any of various marine clams (especially family Teredinidae) that have a shell used for burrowing in submerged wood and a wormlike body and that cause damage to wharf piles and wooden ships
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of shipworm from the Web
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Between 1919 and 1921, the naval shipworm destroyed nearly every wharf, pier, and ferry slip in San Francisco Bay.
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Behold, the giant shipworm, your newest living nightmare.
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Haygood recalls, until a shipworm the size of a baseball bat lay on the table.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shipworm'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of shipworm
circa 1778
Learn More about shipworm
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shipworm
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