silkworm
noun
silk·worm
ˈsilk-ˌwərm 
: a moth whose larva spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon
especially
: an Asian moth (Bombyx mori of the family Bombycidae) whose rough wrinkled hairless caterpillar produces the silk of commerce
Examples of silkworm in a Sentence
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People farm insects for all sorts of reasons: Farmers rear bees to pollinate billions of dollars of crops, textile companies raise silkworms for their cocoons, and cosmetic companies use cochineal beetles for dyes.
—
Bob Fischer, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
The story involves an unlucky silkworm cocoon and Leizu’s hot cup of tea.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Early Chinese farmers began selectively breeding the wild silkworms that exhibited desirable traits, such as higher silk production, larger size and a less aggressive nature.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
The exhibition also highlights gold substitutes used in the past, such as sea silk made from the filaments secreted by the Pinna nobilis, a type of large saltwater clam; golden spider silk from Madagascar, and yellow cocoons produced by a type of silkworm in Cambodia.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 12 Feb. 2025
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Bob Fischer, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
The story involves an unlucky silkworm cocoon and Leizu’s hot cup of tea.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Early Chinese farmers began selectively breeding the wild silkworms that exhibited desirable traits, such as higher silk production, larger size and a less aggressive nature.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
The exhibition also highlights gold substitutes used in the past, such as sea silk made from the filaments secreted by the Pinna nobilis, a type of large saltwater clam; golden spider silk from Madagascar, and yellow cocoons produced by a type of silkworm in Cambodia.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silkworm
Cite this Entry
“Silkworm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silkworm. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
silkworm
noun
silk·worm
ˈsil-ˌkwərm
: any of various moth larvae that spin a large amount of silk to make a cocoon
especially
: a wrinkled hairless yellowish caterpillar that is the larva of an Asian moth, is raised in captivity on mulberry leaves, and produces a strong silk that is the silk most often used for thread or cloth
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