shipworm

plural shipworms

1. Any of several wormlike marine molluscs (not true worms) of the family Teredinidae that bore through the wooden hulls of ships and other woody material immersed in salt water; specifically, the naval shipworm or turu (Teredo navalis), the type species of the genus Teredo.

   [W]e have suffered seriously in our dock yards and harbors by the operations of the shipworm, to which the soundest and hardest oak offers no impediment.

   1852 January 1, “Art. II.—Shell Fish: Their Ways and Works. An Introduction to Conchology, or Elements of the Natural History of Molluscous Animals. By George Johnston, M.D. LL.D. London, J. Van Voorst. [book review]”, in The Westminster Review, volume I (New Series; volume LVII overall), number CXI, London: John Chapman, […], →OCLC, page 55

   5 more examples

   Ship-VVorms [running head] […] It is reported that thoſe VVorms vvhich get into a Ships bottom in the ſalt vvater, vvill dye in the freſh vvater; and that the freſh vvater VVorms vvill dye in ſalt vvater: but in brackiſh vvater both ſorts vvill increaſe prodigiouſly.

   1697, William Dampier, chapter XIII, in A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, page 363

   The Ship-VVorm of Jamaica. This inſect is extremely deſtructive to all the ſhips that anchor for any time in the harbours of Jamaica, or in any other part vvithin the tropics: They cut vvith great facility through the planks, and burrovv a conſiderable vvay in the ſubſtance of them, incruſtating the ſides of all their holes vvith a ſmooth teſtaceous ſubſtance[…].

   1756, Patrick Browne, “Of Insects”, in The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica. […], London: […] T[homas] Osborne, and J. Shipton, […], →OCLC, part II, book III, class I, section II, order IV, page 395

   The Teredo, or ſhip-vvorm, has tvvo calcareous javvs, hemiſpherical, flat before, and angular behind. The ſhell is taper, vvinding, penetrating ſhips and ſubmarine vvood, and vvas brought from India into Europe,[…].

   1791, [Erasmus Darwin], “Additional Notes. Note XXX.—Ship-worm.”, in The Botanic Garden; a Poem, in Two Parts. […], London: J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, part I (The Economy of Vegetation), page 30

   The teredo navalis, or ship-worm, is seldom six inches in length, but the muscles and armour with which its head is provided enables it to penetrate readily into the stoutest oak-planks of a vessel, committing dreadful havoc among her timbers, and chiefly producing the necessity for her being copper-bottomed.

   1826, John Mason Good, “Lecture X. On the Principle of Life, Irritability, and Muscular Power.”, in The Book of Nature. […], volumes I (Series I. Nature of the Material World; […].), London: […] [A[ndrew] & R[obert] Spottiswoode] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, […], →OCLC, page 265

   Old spars and water-soaked timbers cast on the beach are full of the workings of the shipworm—long cylindrical tunnels penetrating all parts of the wood. Usually nothing remains of the creatures themselves except occasional fragments of their small calcaerous shells; these proclaim that the shipworm is a true mollusk, despite its long, slender, and wormlike body.

   1955, Rachel Carson, “The Rim of Sand”, in The Edge of the Sea, New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →OCLC, page 185

   Synonyms: teredine, teredinid, termite of the sea