SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus
view recents

Sphingidae

plural noun
Save Word
Sphin·​gi·​dae | \ -jəˌdē \

Definition of Sphingidae

: a family of typically large heavy-bodied strong-flying moths with narrow elongated wings that comprise the hawk moths

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for Sphingidae

New Latin, from Sphing-, Sphinx, type genus + -idae

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More About Sphingidae

Dictionary Entries Near Sphingidae

sphingid

Sphingidae

sphingine

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for Sphingidae

Cite this Entry

“Sphingidae.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sphingidae. Accessed 17 Sep. 2021.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

precarious

Listen to the pronunciation of precarious

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Dog Words Quiz

  • shiba puppy more or less demanding cuddles
  • Which of the following animals has a dog in its etymology?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
AlphaBear 2

Spell words. Make bears.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games