wormhole

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a small hole in wood, fruit, or old books made by a worm or insect.

n. a small tunnel or cavity burrowed into a substance, such as timber or fruit, by a larva or worm.

“The antique table was full of tiny wormholes, showing its great age.”

“The presence of numerous wormholes in the structural beams suggested a long-standing infestation that had compromised the integrity of the roof.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical · Slang

n. a specific place in a computer program where a programmer can change how the software works.

n. a location in a monitor or system program containing the address of a routine, allowing for the substitution of alternative functionality.

“The developer used a wormhole to redirect the program to a custom debugging routine.”

“By exploiting a wormhole in the legacy monitor code, the engineers were able to patch the system without a full reboot.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical

v. to make many small holes or tunnels in something.

v. to create a porous or permeable structure through the formation of small holes or tunnels.

“Over the centuries, water had wormholed the soft limestone until it was full of gaps.”

“The acid rain had effectively wormholed the surface of the monument, leaving the marble vulnerable to further erosion.”