WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
root•worm
(ro̅o̅t′wûrm′, rŏŏt′-),USA pronunciation n.
- Insectsthe larva of any of several insects, as the cucumber beetle, that feeds on the roots of plants.
- Invertebratesany of several nematodes, esp. of the genus Heterodera, that puncture and feed in the roots of plants.
- root1 + worm 1795–1805
'rootworm' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):