The Spanish verb 'carcomer' (meaning 'to eat away' or 'to corrode') is formed from the noun 'carcoma' (meaning 'woodworm') combined with the Spanish verb suffix '-er'. This formation reflects how woodworms literally eat away at wood, which led to the more general meaning of corrosion or deterioration.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'carcoma', which specifically refers to the woodworm itself. While 'carcoma' names the insect, 'carcomer' describes the destructive action that such insects (and by extension, other corrosive forces) perform.

While there aren't any directly related English words with the same etymology, English speakers might find it helpful to think of how 'woodworm' similarly combines a noun (wood) with something that causes destruction (worm) to create a word about deterioration, just as 'carcomer' developed from 'carcoma'.