silkworm 
1. the commercially bred hairless white caterpillar of the domestic silkworm moth which spins a cocoon that can be processed to yield silk fiber; the principal source of commercial silk (Freq. 1) • Hypernyms: caterpillar • Member Holonyms: Bombyx, genus Bombyx • Part Meronyms: silk gland, serictery, sericterium 2. larva of a saturniid moth; spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon • Syn: giant silkworm, wild wilkworm • Hypernyms: caterpillar • Hyponyms: ailanthus silkworm, Samia cynthia • Member Holonyms: Saturniidae, family Saturniidae • Part Meronyms: silk gland, serictery, sericterium
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