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Synonyms

moth

American  
[mawth, moth] / mɔθ, mɒθ /

noun

PLURAL

moths

  1. any of numerous insects of the order Lepidoptera, generally distinguished from the butterflies by having feathery antennae and by having crepuscular or nocturnal habits.

  2. clothes moth.

moth British  
/ mɒθ /

noun

  1. any of numerous insects of the order Lepidoptera that typically have stout bodies with antennae of various shapes (but not clubbed), including large brightly coloured species, such as hawk moths, and small inconspicuous types, such as the clothes moths Compare butterfly

"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

Other Word Forms

  • demoth verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of moth

before 950; Middle English motthe, Old English moththe; akin to German Motte, Old Norse motti

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Since the start of the millennium, Wales has already witnessed the loss of 11 species, with the European turtle dove and belted beauty moth becoming geographically extinct.

From BBC

"Everyone else is like a moth to flame."

From Barron's

Not only is the result prettier than grass, the plants also support pollinators like moths and butterflies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Not just for the beautiful colours but for the vibrancy of the bees, butterflies and moths flying around, which need that habitat.

From BBC

San Diego had little pockets of cultural insurrection that Crowe sought out like a moth to flame.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.