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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.

The Natural History Museum’s Butterfly Pavilion is back, with up to 30 butterfly and moth species, as well as an assortment of California plants.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

"Everyone else is like a moth to flame."

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

Fiona Hutchings, 47, said jaws around her dropped when the "flash of green" that flew past turned out to be a forester moth.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2025

A classic example often taught in high school biology classes is that of industrial melanism in the peppered moth, a British species tha looks, well, "peppered," with black dots on a mostly white background.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2025

In the real room, her moth took stock of real Lazlo, the relaxation of his face, and his long, easy limbs, loose in slumber.

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.