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pyralid

American

[pir-uh-lid] / ˈpɪr ə lɪd /

noun

any of numerous slender-bodied moths of the family Pyralidae, having elongated triangular forewings, and in the larval phase including many crop pests.

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the family Pyralidae.

pyralid British

/ ˈpɪrəlɪd /

noun

any moth of the mostly tropical family Pyralidae, typically having narrow forewings and broad fringed hind wings: includes the bee moths and the corn borer

"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

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the family Pyralidae

"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

Etymology

Origin of pyralid

1580–90; < New Latin Pyralidae, equivalent to Pyral ( is ) type genus (< Latin pyralis < Greek pyralís an insect thought to live in fire; akin to pŷr fire ) + -idae -id ²

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.

Rather, they assumed, it was to favor a critical component of the sloth’s ecosystem, the pyralid moth.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023