skeletonizer

noun

skel·​e·​ton·​iz·​er ˈske-lə-tə-ˌnī-zər How to pronounce skeletonizer (audio)
: any of various lepidopteran larvae that eat the parenchyma of leaves reducing them to a skeleton of veins

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In Australia and New Zealand, a moth called the gum-leaf skeletonizer hoards its old heads, stacking them atop its current head like de-nested Matryoshka dolls. Sabrina Imbler, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skeletonizer.' 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 1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of skeletonizer was circa 1891

Dictionary Entries Near skeletonizer

Cite this Entry

“Skeletonizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeletonizer. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

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