clothes moth

American  

noun

1. any of several small moths of the family Tineidae, the larvae of which feed on wool, fur, etc., especially Tinea pellionella casemaking clothes moth.

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clothes moth British  

noun

1. any of various tineid moths, esp Tineola bisselliella, the larvae of which feed on wool or fur

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Etymology

Origin of clothes moth

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clothes moth

The conservation charity, which owns the hall, said that despite careful housekeeping, the common clothes moth had been hard to control.

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2021

But the environment is better for the heat-loving common clothes moth, which Dr Sterling says probably originates in Africa.

From BBC ● May 20, 2018

Last year, English Heritage, custodian of many a tapestry and tabard, claimed numbers of the common clothes moth caught in its properties had doubled in five years.

From BBC ● May 20, 2018

By far the most damaging insect, and most at home in modern civilization, is the clothes moth.

From Time Magazine Archive

For over a fortnight we once enjoyed the company of the caterpillar of a common clothes moth.

From Our Common Insects A Popular Account of the Insects of Our Fields, Forests, Gardens and Houses by Packard, A. S. (Alpheus Spring)