clearwing

American

[kleer-wing] / ˈklɪərˌwɪŋ /

noun

a moth having wings mostly devoid of scales and transparent, especially any of the family Aegeriidae, many species of which are injurious to plants.

clearwing British

/ ˈklɪəˌwɪŋ /

noun

any moth of the family Sesiidae (or Aegeriidae ), characterized by the absence of scales from the greater part of the wings. They are day-flying and some, such as the hornet clearwing ( Sesia apiformis ), resemble wasps and other hymenopterans

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clearwing

First recorded in 1865–70; clear + wing

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023