Worm-eaten describes wood, fruit, cloth, books, or anything else that has small holes in it because insects have eaten through it. The holes are the point — you can see them, and they tell you something has been living inside.

Worm-eaten describes wood, fruit, cloth, books, or anything elseWorm-eaten用來形容木頭、水果、布、書，或任何東西that has small holes in it上面有小洞because insects have eaten through it因為昆蟲把它咬穿了The holes are the point重點就在那些洞you can see them你看得到它們and they tell you something has been living inside它們告訴你曾經有東西住在裡面

The word is a compound adjective: worm + eaten, 'eaten by worms'. Note that 'worm' here is loose. In careful biology a worm has no legs, but in this word English uses 'worm' for any small crawling thing that bores holes — beetle larvae, moth larvae, and the like. Most 'worm-eaten' furniture was actually eaten by beetle grubs, not by worms at all. English speakers do not worry about this.

The word is a compound adjective這個字是複合形容詞worm + eatenworm+eaten'eaten by worms'意思是「被蟲咬過」Note that 'worm' here is loose要注意這裡的「worm」用得很鬆散In careful biology a worm has no legs在嚴謹的生物學裡，worm是沒有腳的but in this word English uses 'worm' for any small crawling thing that bores holes但在這個字裡，英文用「worm」泛指任何會鑽洞的小型爬行生物beetle larvae, moth larvae, and the like像是甲蟲幼蟲、蛾的幼蟲之類的Most 'worm-eaten' furniture大部分「worm-eaten」的家具was actually eaten by beetle grubs其實是被甲蟲的幼蟲咬的not by worms at all根本不是被蟲咬的English speakers do not worry about this說英文的人不太在意這一點

The word usually comes with a feeling of age and decay: an old table, an old beam in a temple roof, an old book on a shelf. So people also use it in a stretched, non-literal way, about ideas, systems, or organisations that look solid but are rotten and full of holes inside — 'a worm-eaten empire', 'worm-eaten old theories'. That use is a bit literary; you meet it in writing more than in speech.

The word usually comes with a feeling of age and decay這個字通常帶有老舊、腐朽的感覺an old table一張舊桌子an old beam in a temple roof廟頂上的一根舊梁an old book on a shelf架上的一本舊書So people also use it in a stretched, non-literal way所以人們也會把它延伸、比喻性地用about ideas, systems, or organisations講一些想法、制度或組織that look solid but are rotten and full of holes inside表面看起來穩固，內部卻早已腐朽、千瘡百孔'a worm-eaten empire', 'worm-eaten old theories'「a worm-eaten empire」、「worm-eaten old theories」That use is a bit literary這種用法有點文學性you meet it in writing more than in speech你在文章裡看到的機率比在口語裡高

In everyday talk about fruit, people more often just say 'there's a worm in it' or 'it's got worms'. Always written with a hyphen.

In everyday talk about fruit日常講到水果時people more often just say 'there's a worm in it' or 'it's got worms'大家更常直接說「there's a worm in it」或「it's got worms」Always written with a hyphen一定要加連字號