rootworm: Meaning and Definition of

root•worm

Pronunciation: (rt'wûrm", root'-), [key]
— n.
  1. the larva of any of several insects, as the cucumber beetle, that feeds on the roots of plants.
  2. any of several nematodes, esp. of the genus Heterodera, that puncture and feed in the roots of plants.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.