Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In entomology, a looper, measurer, or measuring-worm; the Iarva of any geometrid moth. See measuring-worm, inchworm, looper, loopworm, and especially geometer, 3. See cuts under cankerworm and Cidaria.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) The larva of any geometrid moth, as the cankerworm; a geometer; a measuring worm.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A measuring worm.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From span.]

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Examples

  • Other bugs to look out for this spring include the elm bark beetle and the elm spanworm.

    Winnipeg Sun 2010

  • As an adult, the snowbush spanworm is a white-tipped black moth.

    tcpalm.com Stories 2010

  • This yellow and black snowbush spanworm is dining heartily.

    tcpalm.com Stories 2010

  • Other bugs to look out for this spring include the elm bark beetle and the elm spanworm.

    Winnipeg Sun 2010

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