Standard Lemma guide

cutworm

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: K AH1 T W ER2 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The larva of any of the many moths of the family Noctuidae, considered an agricultural pest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

North American moth whose larvae feed on young plant stems cutting them off at the ground

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: caterpillar

Narrower terms: army cutworm, Chorizagrotis auxiliaris

History

Etymology

From cut + worm, from the habit of eating through the stem of plants, or possibly from cutty (“short”).

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 地蠶 /地蚕 (dìcán) — larva
  • Finnish: toukka — larva
  • Hawaiian: ʻenuhe hele pō — larva