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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The moths have been spreading steadily through North America since the 1860s, when they were imported as part of a failed effort to begin a silkworm industry. 
Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2022 Trouvelot was looking to breed a hardy silk-producing insect that was less susceptible to disease than the silkworm moth, according to the Smithsonian Institution. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2022 These startups are far from the only ones focusing on silkworm silk. Max G. Levy, Wired, 28 June 2021 The silkworm is the larva of Bombyx mori, the domestic silk moth. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2021 Meanwhile, second-place Lee Graham will be receiving a brand-new can of Korean silkworm pupae in a brownish sauce. Washington Post, 3 June 2021 In 1843, Gideon Smith, a medical doctor and silkworm cultivator in Baltimore, convinced newspapers to publish his appeals to readers to report emergences of cicadas, which were called locusts at the time. Ian Graber-stiehl, Science | AAAS, 1 June 2021 Edible insects have been a part of rich culinary traditions around the world for years, from Mexico’s crunchy chapulines to beondegi, Korea’s silkworm pupae street food. Kate Knibbs, Wired, 11 May 2021 Mulberry silk, from the Bombyx mori silkworm moth’s cocoon, is the most common commercial silk. Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2021 See More
Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2022 Trouvelot was looking to breed a hardy silk-producing insect that was less susceptible to disease than the silkworm moth, according to the Smithsonian Institution. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2022 These startups are far from the only ones focusing on silkworm silk. Max G. Levy, Wired, 28 June 2021 The silkworm is the larva of Bombyx mori, the domestic silk moth. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2021 Meanwhile, second-place Lee Graham will be receiving a brand-new can of Korean silkworm pupae in a brownish sauce. Washington Post, 3 June 2021 In 1843, Gideon Smith, a medical doctor and silkworm cultivator in Baltimore, convinced newspapers to publish his appeals to readers to report emergences of cicadas, which were called locusts at the time. Ian Graber-stiehl, Science | AAAS, 1 June 2021 Edible insects have been a part of rich culinary traditions around the world for years, from Mexico’s crunchy chapulines to beondegi, Korea’s silkworm pupae street food. Kate Knibbs, Wired, 11 May 2021 Mulberry silk, from the Bombyx mori silkworm moth’s cocoon, is the most common commercial silk. Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
silkworm
noun
silk·worm ˈsilk-ˌwərm
: a yellowish caterpillar that is the larva of an Asian moth ( silk moth or silkworm moth ), is raised in captivity on mulberry leaves, and produces a strong silk that is the silk most used for thread or cloth