boll weevil

noun

: a usually grayish or brown weevil (Anthonomus grandis) that feeds on the squares and bolls of the cotton plant

Examples of boll weevil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The story starts in 1915 when cotton farmer Robert Beall moved from Georgia to Florida to escape a boll weevil infestation that had devastated his crops. Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 3 June 2025 Ryan Gary/The Sunroom Shea notes that over the years, APHIS employees have worked to successfully eradicate or keep at bay pests such as the boll weevil, a beetle that feeds on cotton buds, and New World screwworm, a parasite that burrows into the open wounds of animals. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 30 May 2025 According to archives director Marie Force, Delta owes its existence to a tiny pest: the boll weevil. Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 25 May 2025 Malathion is used widely by farmers, gardeners, and to help eradicate the invasive cotton boll weevil, according to the EPA. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for boll weevil

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boll weevil was in 1879

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Boll weevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boll%20weevil. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

boll weevil

noun
: a gray or brown weevil whose larva lives in and feeds on the buds and bolls of the cotton plant

More from Merriam-Webster on boll weevil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!