1. the larva of a moth that feeds on and damages the leaves of trees, especially fruit and shade trees
2. something that gradually destroys or corrupts from within
Usage: figurative

Examples

• The cankerworms stripped all the leaves from the apple trees.
• Spring cankerworms emerge when temperatures warm up.
• The orchard owner sprayed to control the cankerworm infestation.
• Cankerworms can defoliate entire forests if left unchecked.
• Corruption became a cankerworm eating away at the institution.
• He saw greed as a cankerworm destroying the community’s values.