borer

[ bawr-er, bohr- ]

noun

1. a person or thing that bores or pierces.
2. Machinery. a tool used for boring; auger.
3. Zoology.
   1. any of several insects that bore into trees, fruits, etc., especially a beetle that bores into the woody part of plants.
   2. any of various mollusks, worms, etc., that bore into wood, stone, coral, or shells.
4. a marsipobranch fish, as a hagfish, that bores into other fishes to feed on their flesh.

borer

/ ˈbɔːrə /

noun

1. a machine or hand tool for boring holes
2. any of various insects, insect larvae, molluscs, or crustaceans that bore into rock or plant material, esp wood See also woodborer corn borer marine borer rock borer

Word History and Origins

Origin of borer¹

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; bore ², -er ¹

Example Sentences

Ideally, he'd plant a variety that could resist the coffee berry borer, a beetle that feasts on coffee cherries, and that would ripen with greater uniformity.

From Salon

This was the work of the goldspotted oak borer, explained Durbin, forestry division chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

From Los Angeles Times

Twisting the handle of the corkscrew-like borer, Buhl extracts a long, thin sample of the tree’s inner growth rings.

From Seattle Times

The biochar — which the city produces from trees blown down in storms or damaged by the emerald ash borer beetle — traps carbon, conserves water and improves the soil.

From Seattle Times

Longhorn beetles and other wood borers come to feast on the sap from burned trees while they're still smoldering.

From Salon