cutworm en · NOUN
Etymology
From cut + worm, from the habit of eating through the stem of plants, or possibly from cutty (“short”).
Meanings
-
The larva of any of the many moths of the family Noctuidae, considered an agricultural pest.
I listened while they discussed putting stove ash at the base of tomato plants to keep off cutworms or Mama bragged on how fast I was learning to read.
2013, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, 1st edition, Milkweed Editions, →ISBN, page 74:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| cutworms | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
army cutworm · pale western cutworm · cutworm moth
Translations (3)
cmn 地蠶 /地蚕 (larva) · fi toukka (larva) · haw ʻenuhe hele pō (larva)