silkworm

/'silkwə:m/

Thân thiện

A silkworm spins a cocoon on a mulberry leaf.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A caterpillar that produces silk: A silkworm is the larval stage of certain moth species, particularly the domestic silkworm moth (Bombyx mori). It is known for spinning a cocoon made of a continuous, strong silk thread.
   • A commercially bred insect: Specifically, the silkworm is the hairless, white caterpillar bred for sericulture (silk production). Its cocoon is the primary source of natural silk fiber used in textiles.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Farmers raise silkworms to harvest their silk.
  • The silkworm spins its cocoon from a single, long strand of silk.
  • Silk thread is obtained by unraveling the cocoon of the silkworm.

Advanced Usage

• "Silkworm cultivation": The practice of breeding and raising silkworms for silk production.
  • Silkworm cultivation is an ancient industry in many Asian countries.
• "Silkworm moth": The adult stage of the insect, which emerges from the cocoon.
  • The silkworm moth does not eat and lives only to reproduce.

Variants and Related Words

• Silk (n): The fine, strong protein fiber produced by silkworms to form their cocoons.
  • Her dress was made of the finest silk.
• Sericulture (n): The production of silk and the rearing of silkworms for this purpose.
  • He studied the techniques of sericulture.

Synonyms

• Caterpillar: The larval form of a butterfly or moth. (Note: "Silkworm" is a specific type of caterpillar.)
• Larva: The immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form of an insect.

Related Phrases

• Silkworm cocoon: The protective case spun by the silkworm larva.
  • Each silkworm cocoon contains about 300 to 900 meters of silk filament.
• Silkworm egg: The egg from which a silkworm hatches.
  • The silkworm eggs are kept in a controlled environment until they hatch.

Học thuật

Noun

1. larva of a saturniid moth; spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon
2. the commercially bred hairless white caterpillar of the domestic silkworm moth which spins a cocoon that can be processed to yield silk fiber; the principal source of commercial silk

Từ đồng nghĩa

• giant silkworm
• wild wilkworm