Io moth

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noun

a showy, yellow moth, Automeris io, of North America, having a prominent pink and bluish eyespot on each hind wing.

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Origin of Io moth

First recorded in 1865–70; named after Io

Words nearby Io moth

iodous, I.O.F., Iolanthe, iolite, IOM, Io moth, ion, Iona, IONARC, ion engine, Ionesco

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Io moth in a sentence

Blanche was a fragile white moth beating against the unbreakable sides of a 1000 watt bulb.
Elia Kazan to Tennessee Williams: You Gotta Suffer to Sing the Blues|Elia Kazan|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thomas Harris tipped his hat to Fowles in The Silence of the Lambs when he created the moth-loving antagonist Jame Gumb.
How to Understand the Criminal Mind By Reading This Novel|Casey N. Cep|December 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For a contemporary manifestation of this moth-eaten brand of tyranny, look no further than Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Hamas: The Palestinian Fashion Police|Hussein Ibish|April 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
What does it mean for a Chinese tiger, stuffed by the English, to be left as moth-food today?
An Asian Tiger, Choking on Dust|Blake Gopnik|October 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST

All such finds are evaluated for use “ in an information operation (IO) campaign to mold public opinion.”
Osama's Dirty Mind|Asra Q. Nomani|May 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The (p. 325) moth, whose egg produces these larv, is a large white miller of unusual size and prolificness.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
At l. 568 of the same book begins the story of the love of Jupiter for Io.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through, and steal.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
I also saw the clerk busy folding up a moth-eaten velvet pall—not a sight for Christmas Day.
A Thin Ghost and Others|M. R. (Montague Rhodes) James
Spinning—he was for ever spinning, like a tireless moth through a fiery air; and the world went roaring past.
When Valmond Came to Pontiac, Complete|Gilbert Parker

British Dictionary definitions for Io moth

Io moth

noun

an American saturniid moth, Automeris io, bright yellow with a blue-and-pink eyelike spot on each of the hind wings

Word Origin for Io moth

C19: after Io 1 (who was tormented by a gadfly), referring to the sting of the larva

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