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sphinx moth

American  

noun

  1. hawk moth.


sphinx moth British  

noun

  1. another name for the hawk moth

"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 sphinx moth

First recorded in 1830–40

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.

See Examples For:

“Unless this is a sphinx moth caterpillar who has been stressed and agitated into displaying its osmeterium,” says Jackson.

From National Geographic Dec. 28, 2017

But I doubt you’ve heard of any World Wildlife Fund campaigns to protect the fabulous green sphinx moth, right?

From New York Times Oct. 21, 2017

He pointed at a black-and-green caterpillar, which before long would become a sphinx moth.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 12, 2017

Yet the adult, the Carolina sphinx moth, is the plant's preferred pollinator.

From Nature Feb. 28, 2017

An ordinary chameleon can shoot a fly at the distance of fully 6 in., and it can manage even a big sphinx moth.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 7 "Cerargyrite" to "Charing Cross" by Various

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