CORN BORER

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does corn borer mean? 

• CORN BORER (noun)
  The noun CORN BORER has 2 senses:

1. larva of the European corn borer moth; a serious pest of maize

2. native to Europe; in America the larvae bore into the stem and crown of corn and other plants

  Familiarity information: CORN BORER used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CORN BORER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Larva of the European corn borer moth; a serious pest of maize

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

corn borer; Pyrausta nubilalis

Hypernyms ("corn borer" is a kind of...):

caterpillar (a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth)

Holonyms ("corn borer" is a member of...):

family Pyralidae; family Pyralididae; Pyralidae; Pyralididae (bee moths; corn borers; flour moths)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Native to Europe; in America the larvae bore into the stem and crown of corn and other plants

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

corn borer; corn borer moth; European corn borer moth; Pyrausta nubilalis

Hypernyms ("corn borer" is a kind of...):

pyralid; pyralid moth (usually tropical slender-bodied long-legged moth whose larvae are crop pests)

Holonyms ("corn borer" is a member of...):

genus Pyrausta; Pyrausta (moths whose larvae are corn borers)

 Context examples 

The researchers conducted a broad scan of the corn borer genome among five moth populations and found that two genes correlated with this activity.

(Secrets to climate change adaptation uncovered in the European corn borer moth, National Science Foundation)

The team looked at the European corn borer moth (Ostrinia nubilalis) and pinpointed variation in two circadian clock genes that enable different populations of the moth to adapt their transitions to longer or shorter winters.

(Secrets to climate change adaptation uncovered in the European corn borer moth, National Science Foundation)