moth

noun

ˈmȯth 

plural moths ˈmȯt͟hz  ˈmȯths 

1

: clothes moth

2

: any of various usually nocturnal lepidopteran insects with antennae that are often feathery, with a stouter body, duller coloring, and proportionately smaller wings than the butterflies, and with larvae that are plant-eating caterpillars

mothlike

ˈmȯth-ˌlīk 

adjective

mothy

ˈmȯ-thē 

adjective

Examples of moth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The long, powerful wings of hummingbird moths are another distinguishing characteristic. —Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2024

Leonard’s skipper These butterflies can be intermediaries between butterflies and moths. —Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 9 July 2024

Bees, butterflies, moths and beetles, even bats and hummingbirds make this exchange. —Siddhant Pusdekar, Journal Sentinel, 21 June 2024

Larvae look like small caterpillars but there is a distinctive difference between caterpillars in the Lepidoptera family that transform into butterflies and moths, and sawfly larvae in the Hymenoptera family. —Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mothe, from Old English moththe; akin to Middle High German motte moth

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing moth

• brown-tail moth
• cecropia moth
• cinnabar moth
• clearwing moth
• clothes moth
• codling moth
• death's-head hawk moth
• diamondback moth
• hawk moth
• imperial moth
• Io moth
• luna moth
• Mediterranean flour moth
• moth bean
• moth-eaten
• oriental fruit moth
• peppered moth
• silk moth
• sphinx moth
• spongy moth
• tiger moth
• tussock moth
• wax moth

Kids Definition

moth

noun

ˈmȯth 

plural moths ˈmȯt͟hz  ˈmȯths 

: any of a group of night-flying insects that are lepidopterans often with duller coloring, stouter bodies, and smaller wings than the related butterflies and with antennae which are often feathery