moth
Americannoun
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moths
plural
-
any of numerous insects of the order Lepidoptera, generally distinguished from the butterflies by having feathery antennae and by having crepuscular or nocturnal habits.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
I had gravitated to the color like a moth to light, seeking the dopamine hit of its glow, as if by osmosis I could absorb and become it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
A moth circling a porch light evolved to navigate by the moon; the bulb is an “evolutionary novelty” with which its ancestors never had to contend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"I've been fascinated for a long time by the camouflage and disruptive patterning of moth wings," she added.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
One of the exhibition's central stories focuses on the peppered moth, which adapted during the industrial revolution by developing darker colouring to blend in with soot-covered buildings.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
The moth lifts off and disappears into the night.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
People are encouraged to choose a spot and count the butterflies and moths they see there for 15 minutes per day, logging it on the website or via the app.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Sponsor Nike has even started to dress him in nice clothes, though I’m not sure what to do with that macrame-style warm-up jacket, which looks like it spent a winter getting gnawed by moths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
As the chants continued, fans flocked from all corners of the stadium like moths to a flame, and the group grew from a few dozen to a few hundred.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
The colourfully lit machines, often seen drawing people like moths to a flame, have come under regulatory scrutiny this month, as officials raised addiction concerns over the seemingly harmless games.
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
Another of her moths was fluttering in sight of the pavilion where the silk sleighs rested.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
