What does threadworm mean?
A threadworm is primarily the larva of a clothes moth or a similar textile-eating insect. It is called a threadworm because it feeds on the threads of clothing, carpets, upholstery, and other fabrics, sometimes causing visible damage. The word can also be used figuratively for a person who is tiresome, irritating, or excessively annoying. This second use is informal and generally carries a dismissive or teasing tone rather than formal disapproval. In practical contexts, “clothes-moth larva” is often clearer and more precise, while “threadworm” remains a vivid traditional term. The word is also memorable for its contrast between the smallness of the insect and the potentially large annoyance attributed to the figurative person.
nounA threadworm is a larva, especially that of a clothes moth, that feeds on or damages textiles and other fabric. Figuratively, it can mean a tiresome, irritating, or otherwise annoying person.
- A wormlike larva, especially a clothes-moth larva, that feeds on textiles.
- A tiresome, irritating, or annoying person.
"She discovered a threadworm in the wool sweater while checking the cupboard for moths."
"The storage box smelled of mothballs, and a threadworm had damaged one of its wool blankets."
"He can be a bit of a threadworm when he keeps correcting people during meetings."
The standard plural of the noun is “threadworms.”
"Threadworms can damage woollen clothing and upholstery."
A threadworm is a tiny clothes-moth larva with a taste for wool—and, figuratively, an exceptionally irritating person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does threadworm come from?
Threadworm is an English compound formed from the old elements “thread” and “worm,” both of which have Germanic roots. It developed as a name for a wormlike larva that feeds on threads and textiles. The figurative sense, referring to an annoying or tiresome person, developed by analogy from that literal meaning and is now mainly informal.
How threadworm is actually used
The literal sense is specific to a textile-feeding moth larva. The figurative sense is informal and dismissive, and may sound old-fashioned or teasing depending on context.