teredo
- noun
- /təˈriːdoʊ/
- Specialized
:
teredo
- Wood rarely lasts in a warm saltwater environment like this because of the insatiable appetites of teredos, or marine boring worms, but the harbor silt has helped preserve the wood by creating an anaerobic environment.
Examples
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In coastal areas, teredo pose a threat to piers and docks made of timber as they bore into the submerged wood.
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The teredo larvae attach themselves to submerged logs, which leads to considerable deterioration of the wood over time.
-
Wood rarely lasts in a warm saltwater environment like this because of the insatiable appetites of teredos, or marine boring worms, but the harbor silt has helped preserve the wood by creating an anaerobic environment.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A small sea animal with a long soft body that makes holes in wood
A sea animal like a worm that bores into wood of ships or piers
Surface Forms
Etymology
Teredo comes from the Latin verb terere, which means 'to rub' or 'wear away', so it paints a picture of something that bores into material. That's why a teredo (a shipworm) is named for its habit of eating and destroying submerged wood.