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sawyer

sawyer

9.9
A beetle whose young make holes in dead or dying trees
  • noun
  • /ˈsɔɪər/
  • US
translation icon : escarabajo perforador
  • The larvae of the sawyer can severely damage timber by tunneling through the wood.

Examples

  • A forester identified several sawyers infesting the dead pines in the forest.

  • The distinctive markings of a sawyer make it easy to recognize among wood-boring beetles.

  • The sawyer is a common pest in forests.

  • Many sawyers can damage trees significantly.

  • A forester identified several sawyers infesting the dead pines in the forest.

  • The distinctive markings of a sawyer make it easy to recognize among wood-boring beetles.

  • The larvae of the sawyer can severely damage timber by tunneling through the wood.

Synonyms

sawyer beetle
vssawyer
  • US
8.8

A large beetle whose young make holes in dead or dying pine trees

is the shorter name used for the same insect
Monochamus
vssawyer
  • Specialized
9.9

A large longhorn beetle whose young tunnel into pine trees

is the general common type name rather than the scientific genus
pine sawyer
vssawyer
9.8

A large beetle whose young bore holes in pine trees

is broader applying to dead conifers in general rather than only pine

Compounds

A large beetle whose young bore holes in pine trees

8.8

A large beetle whose young make holes in dead or dying pine trees

Surface Forms

sawyer singular
sawyers plural

Morphology

sawyer = saw (semi-transparent) = saw + er

Formed from 'saw' + '-er' by metaphorical extension to an agent that bores or 'saws' through wood, so the morphological structure is clear but the zoological meaning is specialized.

Etymology

Sawyer for the beetle uses the same root saw; a helpful way to remember it is that the young insects, called 'larvae', seem to 'saw' or tunnel into dead wood. That's why the name fits a beetle whose larvae bore holes in trees.