I. ˈmȯ]th also ˈmä] noun
( plural moths ]thz, ]ths, ]z\)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English mothe, from Old English moththe; akin to Middle Dutch & Middle Low German motte, mutte moth, Middle High German motte, Old Norse motti, and perhaps to Old English matha worm, maggot — more at maggot
1.
a.
(1) : clothes moth
(2) : an insect that feeds on materials (as woolens and furs) — compare carpet beetle , dermestes
b. obsolete : any obnoxious insect (as a mosquito, roach, or maggot)
c. : any of various insects that constitute a major division (Heterocera) of the order Lepidoptera, are usually nocturnal or crepuscular, have antennae which are often feathery and rarely clubbed, are typically stouter-bodied, less brilliantly colored, and proportionately smaller winged than the butterflies, and have larvae which are caterpillars and feed often very destructively on vegetation — see gypsy moth , silk moth
2. archaic : a thing or a person that gradually eats away, wastes, or consumes something
3. : moth gray
4. : a class of racing sailboat of varying design but having an overall length of 11 ft. and 73 sq. ft. of sail area ; also : a boat in this class
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to hunt for moths