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: any of various usually 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
Examples of moth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The 100-plus decibel whine of IndyCar engines lures locals to the speedway like moths to a flame, and not just on race day.
—
Amy Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2024
The blossom's smell attracts nocturnal pollinators, including bats and moths.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2024
The preserved moth doesn’t look like much to the untrained, but Shen quickly realized its significance.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
In truth, the yellow- and orange-flowered nasturtium — which is closely related to the Brassicas or cole crops, explaining why cabbage moths hover around it — has no botanical relationship to watercress but was given its name due to the similar taste of the different species’ leaves.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024
The spotted lanternfly enters the adult moth stage during the late summer and fall.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 25 Apr. 2024
Her remains were surrounded by moth balls in the basement of the home, where she was buried in April 2023 after being viciously killed, Sanguedolce said at the press conference, which was streamed by PAhomepage.com and viewed by PEOPLE.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Legions of insects have evolved to help native plants with long-distance reproduction, including butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, midges and gnats.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
High populations of these moths in a small area can eat the leaves off an entire tree, and ultimately kill it.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Amy Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2024
The blossom's smell attracts nocturnal pollinators, including bats and moths.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2024
The preserved moth doesn’t look like much to the untrained, but Shen quickly realized its significance.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
In truth, the yellow- and orange-flowered nasturtium — which is closely related to the Brassicas or cole crops, explaining why cabbage moths hover around it — has no botanical relationship to watercress but was given its name due to the similar taste of the different species’ leaves.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024
The spotted lanternfly enters the adult moth stage during the late summer and fall.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 25 Apr. 2024
Her remains were surrounded by moth balls in the basement of the home, where she was buried in April 2023 after being viciously killed, Sanguedolce said at the press conference, which was streamed by PAhomepage.com and viewed by PEOPLE.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Legions of insects have evolved to help native plants with long-distance reproduction, including butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, midges and gnats.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
High populations of these moths in a small area can eat the leaves off an entire tree, and ultimately kill it.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Moth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moth. Accessed 13 May. 2024.
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