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bookworm

 - 4 dictionary results

book⋅worm

[book-wurm]
–noun
1. a person devoted to reading or studying.
2. any of various insects that feed on books, esp. a booklouse.

Origin:
1590–1600; book + worm
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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book·worm   (bŏŏk'wûrm')   
n.  
  1. One who spends much time reading or studying.

  2. Any of various insects, especially booklice and silverfish, that infest books and feed on the paste in the bindings.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

bookworm 
1599 (of people), 1855 of insects or maggots; there is no single species known by this name, which is applied to the anolium beetle, silverfishes, and book lice.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

bookworm

any insect (e.g., moths, beetles) whose larval (or adult) forms injure books by gnawing the binding and piercing the pages with small holes. No single species may properly be called the bookworm because a large number of insects feed upon dry, starchy material or paper and may damage books

Learn more about bookworm with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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