moth
Americannoun
plural
moths-
any of numerous insects of the order Lepidoptera, generally distinguished from the butterflies by having feathery antennae and by having crepuscular or nocturnal habits.
noun
-
any of numerous insects of the order Lepidoptera that typically have stout bodies with antennae of various shapes (but not clubbed), including large brightly coloured species, such as hawk moths, and small inconspicuous types, such as the clothes moths Compare butterfly
Other Word Forms
- demoth verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of moth
before 950; Middle English motthe, Old English moththe; akin to German Motte, Old Norse motti
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.
The third is almost like the moth to the flame.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026
"Everyone else is like a moth to flame."
From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025
San Diego had little pockets of cultural insurrection that Crowe sought out like a moth to flame.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025
The pair photographed the moth before releasing it back into the wild and logging the find in a database.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2025
The moth left her brow, and Sarai left the dream and flew back out into the night.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.