hornworm

noun

horn·​worm ˈhȯrn-ˌwərm How to pronounce hornworm (audio)
: a hawk moth caterpillar having a hornlike tail process compare tomato hornworm

Examples of hornworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And then there’s been this year, when the hornworms and aphids have been pairing up two by two with their umbrellas. Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 June 2024 Here's what to look for, according to the University of Arizona: Tomato hornworm caterpillars Large green caterpillars with white diagonal stripes and a horn-like appendage. The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024 The bug eats hornworm caterpillars. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2010 Allmann and Baldwin showed that something in the hornworm spit was causing this change. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2010 Fewer weeds means fewer places for hornworm moths to lay eggs. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2022 The caterpillars feed continuously, so any time of day will work for going on a hornworm hunt. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2022 That is a hornworm caterpillar from the genus Smerinthus. oregonlive, 5 July 2020 Our research team at Michigan State University’s Plant Resilience Institute watched what happened in hotter weather when hornworm caterpillars attacked a tomato plant. Nathan Havko, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hornworm was in 1676

Dictionary Entries Near hornworm

Cite this Entry

“Hornworm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hornworm. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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