shipworm
noun
ship·worm
ˈship-ˌwərm 
: 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
Examples of shipworm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The island’s wide, open beaches were perfect for careening hulls, beaching ships and listing them to one side to scrape off the foul barnacles and shipworms that infest the tropical Caribbean.
—
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
That could have huge consequences for the world Then there’s the underwater archeologist’s nightmare: shipworms.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
This is Bankia setacea, also called the Northwest or feathery shipworm.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2014
Teredo navalis—a reddish shipworm, which can grow longer than a foot—ate through hulls.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Researchers found the new-to-science shipworm, a kind of clam, in the Abatan River on the Philippines’ Bohol Island.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 10 Dec. 2019
In the case of the Titanic, the water was much too cold for the most common organic eater, the shipworm, but researchers have still found over 20 different microbes accelerating the decomposition of the ship, Sinclair says.
—Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 13 Feb. 2023
The shipworm keeps bacteria in its gills that can digest wood, and steals their enzymes to use in its gut.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2014
Finding the rock-eating shipworm raises a broader issue.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 10 Dec. 2019
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
That could have huge consequences for the world Then there’s the underwater archeologist’s nightmare: shipworms.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
This is Bankia setacea, also called the Northwest or feathery shipworm.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2014
Teredo navalis—a reddish shipworm, which can grow longer than a foot—ate through hulls.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Researchers found the new-to-science shipworm, a kind of clam, in the Abatan River on the Philippines’ Bohol Island.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 10 Dec. 2019
In the case of the Titanic, the water was much too cold for the most common organic eater, the shipworm, but researchers have still found over 20 different microbes accelerating the decomposition of the ship, Sinclair says.
—Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 13 Feb. 2023
The shipworm keeps bacteria in its gills that can digest wood, and steals their enzymes to use in its gut.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2014
Finding the rock-eating shipworm raises a broader issue.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 10 Dec. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shipworm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1778, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near shipworm
Cite this Entry
“Shipworm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shipworm. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
shipworm
noun
ship·worm
-ˌwərm
: any of various marine clams that have a wormlike body and a shell used for burrowing in underwater wood and that cause damage to ships and wharves
More from Merriam-Webster on shipworm
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shipworm
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