Silkworm (Noun)
Meaning 1
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.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The sericulture industry relies heavily on the silkworm for the production of high-quality silk fibers.
- The life cycle of the domesticated silkworm is carefully managed to optimize silk production.
- Silkworms are typically fed a diet of mulberry leaves to promote healthy growth.
- After harvesting, the silkworm cocoons are soaked in hot water to kill the pupae inside.
- The protein fibers from the silkworm cocoons are unwound and woven into luxurious fabrics.
Meaning 2
Larva of a saturniid moth; spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The life cycle of a silkworm typically takes a few weeks, from hatching to cocoon formation.
- A single silkworm can spin a remarkable amount of silk to enclose its cocoon, usually between 300 and 400 meters.
- To extract silk, manufacturers must kill the silkworm pupae inside the cocoons, typically by boiling or steaming them.
- Farmers often cultivate mulberry bushes to feed silkworms since these caterpillars only eat the leaves of the mulberry tree.
- The process of removing the pupae from the cocoon and unwinding the silk filament is known as reeling, a labor-intensive procedure to get the silk threads from a silkworm.