Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A snout beetle, especially one that is a pest of fruit trees.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A Linnean genus of weevils or snout-beetles, formerly conterminous with the Curculionidæ, now greatly restricted or disused.
- noun A weevil; particularly, one of the common fruitweevils which work great destruction among plums, and which receive the colloquial name “little Turk,” from the crescent-shaped mark left by their sting. See cut under
Conotrachelus .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) One of a large group of beetles (Rhynchophora) of many genera; -- called also
weevils ,snout beetles ,billbeetles , andbillbugs . Many of the species are very destructive, as the plum curculio, the corn, grain, and rice weevils, etc.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun zoology Any of the
genus Curculio ofweevils .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The curculio is a native of North America and for more than 150 years has been known as an enemy of fruits.
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The chickens will keep the plum trees free from the "curculio,"
Outdoor Sports and Games Claude H. Miller
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The "curculio" alone destroys millions of dollars 'worth of fruit annually.
The $100 Prize Essay on the Cultivation of the Potato. Prize offered by W. T. Wylie and awarded to D. H. Compton. How to Cook the Potato, Furnished by Prof. Blot. D. A. Compton 1846
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The calculations of the "curculio" and "codling moth" are brought to naught by turning hogs into the orchard to eat the stung fruit as it falls, and the larva that depastures upon the leaves of the current and gooseberry is destroyed by syringing the plants with a mixture of soap, salt, and water.
The $100 Prize Essay on the Cultivation of the Potato. Prize offered by W. T. Wylie and awarded to D. H. Compton. How to Cook the Potato, Furnished by Prof. Blot. D. A. Compton 1846
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Farmers battled Terran immigrants like tarnished plant bugs, sawflies, wooly aphids, coddling moths, leafrollers, lesser apple worms, and the arch enemy: plum curculio.
The Year's Best Science Fiction 23rd Annual Collection Dozois, Gardner 2006
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Prof.S. had examined the stomachs of many such birds, and particularly of the American robin, and the only curculio he ever found in any of these was a single one in a whole cherry which the bird had bolted entire.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 275, April 9, 1881 Various
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There is another group of weevils, nearly related to the common plum curculio, the species of which attack immature nuts.
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The curculio catcher, or machine, is run against the tree three or four times, with sufficient force to impart a jarring motion to all its parts.
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I have all the green fruit, of every kind, carefully picked up as soon as it falls, thereby destroying many of the curculio as well as the apple-worms.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 433, April 19, 1884 Various
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After all the experiments made and repellents used for the plum curculio, the jarring method is found the most efficient and reliable, if properly performed.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 275, April 9, 1881 Various
chained_bear commented on the word curculio
"'You see those weevils, Stephen?'
'I do.'
'Which would you choose?'
'There is not a scrap of difference. Arcades ambo. They are the same species of curculio, and there is nothing to choose between them.'
'But suppose you had to choose?'
'Then I should choose the right-hand weevil; it has a perceptible advantage in both length and breadth.'
'There I have you,' cried Jack. 'You are bit—you are completely dished. Don't you know that in the Navy you must always choose the lesser of two weevils? Oh ha, ha, ha, ha!'"
--O'Brian, The Fortune of War, 55
March 31, 2008
reesetee commented on the word curculio
Oh ha, ha, ha, ha! I just love weevil jokes. :-D
March 31, 2008
bilby commented on the word curculio
We've (a)ll heard this, but glad it has a fine retelling here on Wordie.
March 31, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word curculio
I know, bilby, that's why I hadn't entered it for the longest time. But I found curculio again and thought it deserved a usage note. Besides, "Oh ha, ha, ha, ha!" is actually my favorite part.
March 31, 2008
bilby commented on the word curculio
:-)))
March 31, 2008
mollusque commented on the word curculio
-:)))
October 14, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word curculio
(((-:
October 14, 2008
Prolagus commented on the word curculio
What are all these chandeliers?
October 14, 2008
bilby commented on the word curculio
*checks* Nope, leather ears.
October 14, 2008
mollusque commented on the word curculio
Mine's a weevil. The others seem to be trilobites.
October 14, 2008
Prolagus commented on the word curculio
=(^^^)
Woodlouse.
October 14, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word curculio
See also :))).
June 8, 2009
ruzuzu commented on the word curculio
Is it weird that I think those weevils are kinda cute?
August 9, 2017
bilby commented on the word curculio
I just found billbeetles in the GNU definition so, *ahem*, of course they are cute.
August 10, 2017