moth

Meaning

Noun

1. Any flying insect of the order Lepidoptera not in the superfamily Papilionoidea, most species of which are nocturnal and can be distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
2. (figuratively) Anything that gradually and silently eats, consumes, or wastes any other thing.

Verb

To hunt for moths.

Synonyms

butterfly

🦋

miller

moths

butterflies

insect

beetle

🪲

fly

✈️

bug

🐛

silkworm moth

kind of insect

clothes’ moth

xbutterfly

butterfly moth

true butterfly

true butterflies

butterfly moths

Lepidopter

borer

clothes-moth

grub

lepidopteran

mahogany

mole

bagworm

Translations

Motte

polilla

tarma

Nachtfalter

falena

mite

mariposa

🦋

mot

arna

papillon de nuit

nachtvlinder

phalène

traça

uiltje

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mɒθ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: moth

Inherited from Old English: moþþe

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Motte

Cognate with Western Frisian: mot

Cognate with Dutch: mot

Cognate with German: Motte

Cognate with Swedish: mott

In summary

From Middle English moth, moththe, motthe, moght, mohþe, mouȝte, from Old English moþþe, mohþe, mohþa (“any destructive insect larva”), from Proto-West Germanic *moþþō, *mottō, from Proto-Germanic *muþþô, *muttô (“moth, worm”), from Proto-Indo-European *mutn-, *mut- (“worm”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Motte (“moth”), West Frisian mot (“moth”), Dutch mot (“moth”), German Low German Motte, Mott (“moth”), German Motte (“moth”), Swedish mott (“moth”) and Norwegian Nynorsk mott (“moth”).