moth
[ mawth, moth ]
/ mɔθ, mɒθ /
noun, plural moths [mawth z, moth z, mawths, moths] /mɔðz, mɒðz, mɔθs, mɒθs/.
any of numerous insects of the order Lepidoptera, generally distinguished from the butterflies by having feathery antennae and by having crepuscular or nocturnal habits.
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Nearby words
motais operation, mote, mote spoon, motel, motet, moth, moth bean, moth mullein, moth orchid, moth-eaten, mothball
Origin of moth
before 950; Middle English motthe, Old English moththe; akin to German Motte, Old Norse motti
Related formsde·moth, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for moth
British Dictionary definitions for moth
moth
/ (mɒθ) /
noun
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 mothsCompare butterfly (def. 1)
Word Origin for moth
Old English moththe; compare Middle Dutch motte, Old Norse motti
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for moth
moth
Old English moððe (Northumbrian mohðe), common Germanic (cf. Old Norse motti, Middle Dutch motte, Dutch mot, German Motte "moth"), perhaps related to Old English maða "maggot," or from the root of midge (q.v.). Until 16c. used mostly of the larva and usually in reference to devouring clothes (cf. Matt. vi:20).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper