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pyralid

noun

py·​ral·​id pī-ˈra-ləd How to pronounce pyralid (audio)
: any of a very large heterogeneous family (Pyralidae) of mostly small slender long-legged moths
pyralid adjective

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Latin pyralis, fly fabled as living in fire, from Greek, from pyr fire

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pyralid was in 1870

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Cite this Entry

“Pyralid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyralid. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.

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