shipworm

Noun
Synonyms: teredinid

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

  1. wormlike marine bivalve that bores into wooden piers and ships by means of drill-like shellsSynonyms: teredinid
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Shipworm \Ship"worm`\, n. (Zool.) Any long, slender, worm-shaped bivalve mollusk of Teredo and allied genera. The shipworms burrow in wood, and are destructive to wooden ships, piles of wharves, etc. See Teredo. [1913 Webster]
Teredo \Te*re"do\, n.; pl. E. Teredos, L. Teredines. [L., a worm that gnaws wood, clothes, etc.; akin to Gr. ?, L. terere to rub.] (Zool.) A genus of long, slender, wormlike bivalve mollusks which bore into submerged wood, such as the piles of wharves, bottoms of ships, etc.; -- called also shipworm. See Shipworm. See Illust. in Appendix. [1913 Webster]
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