[moth] n, pl moths [ME mothe, fr. OE moththe; akin to MHG motte moth] (bef. 12c) 1: clothes moth
2: any of various usu. nocturnal lepidopteran insects with antennae that are often feathery, with a stouter body, duller coloring, and proportionately smaller wings than the butterflies, and with larvae that are plant-eating caterpillars -- moth.like adj -- mothy adj