apple-grub

A small apple-grub burrows inside a ripe red apple.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A larva that infests apple trees: "apple-grub" refers to the larval stage of certain insects (such as the codling moth or apple maggot) that burrows into and feeds on the flesh of apples, often causing damage to the fruit.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The farmer noticed several apples had fallen prematurely, each containing an apple-grub. (A larva that damages the fruit.)
  • To protect the harvest, the orchardist sprayed the trees to control the apple-grub population. (A pest larva in apple trees.)

Advanced Usage

• "to have an apple-grub in one's apple": an informal, rare expression meaning to discover a hidden problem or flaw in something that initially seemed perfect.
  • He thought his plan was flawless, but then he found an apple-grub in the details. (He discovered a hidden defect.)

Variants and Related Words

• Apple-grubber (n): a device or tool used to remove apple-grubs from fruit.
  • The gardener used an apple-grubber to extract the larvae from the damaged apples. (A tool for removing grubs.)

Synonyms

• Apple maggot: the larva of the apple maggot fly, a specific type of apple-grub.
• Codling moth larva: the caterpillar of the codling moth, a common apple-grub pest.

Related Idioms

• "A worm in the apple": a phrase meaning a hidden flaw or corruption within something seemingly good.
  • The company seemed successful, but there was a worm in the apple — the CEO's embezzlement. (A hidden problem.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Grub out: to remove or dig out something, such as an apple-grub, from a surface.
  • He had to grub out the apple-grub from the fruit before eating it. (Remove the larva by digging.)