Meaning & use
woodworms
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“woodworms” is a form of “woodworm”.
Meanings
nounplural
The small larvae of certain beetles that eat tunnels through wooden furniture and beams.
Grammar: Plural of woodworm; takes a plural verb: the woodworms are eating the beam.
Patterns
- woodworms in something
The woodworms had turned the old chair leg into dust.
Tiny woodworms hatch inside the timber and feed for years.
The inspector found woodworms in the attic rafters.
nounpluralinformal
Wood-boring beetles in general, including both the grubs and the adult insects that lay the eggs.
Grammar: Used loosely when speaking of the pests as a group.
Woodworms are a common problem in old houses.
We treated the floor to kill the woodworms.
Damp wood attracts woodworms more than dry wood does.
Word forms
| singular | woodworm |
|---|
Common combinations
- kill woodworms
- This liquid will kill woodworms in the timber.
- infested with woodworms
- The cabin was infested with woodworms.
- woodworm holes
- Small woodworm holes dotted the wardrobe.
- treat for woodworms
- They had the roof treated for woodworms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- termites
- Termites are a different group of insects that eat wood in warm regions, while woodworms are beetle larvae.
- borers
- Borers is a wider word for any creature that bores into wood, and sounds more technical.
- grubs
- Grubs means any soft insect larvae, not only those that live in wood.
Word family
Commonly confused: woodworms or woodworking?
woodworms vs woodworking
Woodworking is the craft of making things from wood; woodworms are pests that damage it.
Practice
The old beams were full of small holes made by ____.
Choose one answer.
Woodworms are beetle larvae that make holes in timber. Woodworking is a craft and woodwork means wooden parts, so they cannot make holes themselves.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “woodworms”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.