mealworm

[ meel-wurm ]

noun

1. the larva of any of several darkling beetles of the genus Tenebrio, which infests granaries and is used as food for birds and animals.

mealworm

/ ˈmiːlˌwɜːm /

noun

1. the larva of various beetles of the genus Tenebrio, esp T. molitor, feeding on meal, flour, and similar stored foods: family Tenebrionidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of mealworm¹

First recorded in 1650–60; meal ² + worm

Example Sentences

They seem to be updating their mental model on how the mealworm is moving.

From Science News For Students

In some tests, the mealworm moves behind an obstacle and then speeds up or slows down.

From Science News For Students

This allows her to track how successful the bats are at grabbing the mealworms.

From Science News For Students

In their experiments, the bats echolocate toward a moving mealworm.

From Science News For Students

They make fewer calls because they aren’t receiving as much data on the moving mealworm.

From Science News For Students