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“Bookworm” can refer to insects that eat books or a person who loves books. Insect infestation can be harmful, but avid reading is generally not. The term has been used since 1599 and can be applied to both children and adults. Bibliophiles may also be bookworms. Keeping a clean, dry library can help prevent insect damage.
The term “bookworm” is used in two senses. The former refers to any type of insect that infests books, while the latter refers to a person who likes books. The latter can be used pejoratively, suggesting that the person has become obsessed with books. In the second sense, avid reading can certainly be hard on books, especially cheap paperbacks, but is generally not as potentially harmful as insect infestation. The intended meaning is usually made clear by the context.
The first use of Bookworm can get pretty vague. No insect species is specifically known as a bookworm, although a wide range of insects, from silverfish to termites, will eat books and paper, if the material is available. The larvae of several insects are also quite fond of books, especially the glue used in older books, and some of these larvae will transform into books. A true book borer, however, is quite rare.
Insect control in a bookcase can be a problem, especially in an older bookcase, which can also be congenial to insects and moisture, posing a serious significant risk to the contents. Most bibliophiles try to keep valuable books in controlled environments, where they are less prone to infestation. Keeping a clean, dry library can also help. An abandoned library, however, can be subject to large amounts of insect damage, especially in the tropics.
The second use of bookworms actually precedes the first; as early as 1599, people were referring to book lovers as bookworms. The term was only applied to insects in the 1800s. Some people prefer to distinguish bookworms from bibliophiles, arguing that bookworms love books for their content, while bibliophiles love books as objects. Clearly, there is probably some overlap between the two, as many bookworms collect old or good books, and many bibliophiles are very fond of reading.
Different people have different standards about bookworms, often determined by their own reading habits. The term is often applied to children, especially shy children who spend much of their free time reading. Adults, however, can certainly be bookworms too, especially when they have a lot of free time on their hands. If you can’t leave the house without a book, you might be a bookworm. This is especially true if you open the book every chance you get, or if you are known to read while walking down the street, cooking, or performing similar tasks.
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