# moth
## English
### Etymology 1

From Middle English moth, moththe, motthe, moght, mohþe, mouȝte, from Old English moþþe, mohþe, mohþa (“moth”), 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”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /mɒθ/
* Audio (UK):(file)
* (General American) enPR: môth, IPA: /mɔθ/
* (cot–caught merger) IPA: /mɑθ/, enPR: mŏth
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɒθ, -ɔːθ

#### Noun

moth (plural moths)
* A usually nocturnal insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
** 2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7:Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.
* (figurative) Anything that gradually and silently eats, consumes, or wastes any other thing.

##### Hypernyms

* lep

##### Derived terms

* acorn moth (Blastobasis glandulella and Cydia splendana)
* ailanthus moth (Atteva aurea)
* almond moth (Cadra cautella)
* almond tree leaf skeletoniser moth, almond tree leaf skeletonizer moth (Aglaope infausta)
* American chestnut moth (Ectoedemia castaneae)
* Angoumois moth (Sitotroga cerealella)
* antbed parrot moth (Trisyntopa scatophaga)
* antler moth (Charaeas graminis)
* apple moth*
* arcigera flower moth (Schinia arcigera)
* arctic woolly bear moth (Gynaephora groenlandica)
* arge moth
* aspen leaf blotch miner moth
* Atlas moth (Attacus atlas)
* autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata)
* bag moth (Psychidae spp.)
* bagworm moth (Psychidae spp)
* bee moth*
* bell moth* (Tortricidae spp., Archips rosaceana)
* black moth*
* black-arched moth (Lymantria monacha)
* bogong moth (Agrotis infusa)
* book moth
* box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)
* brimstone moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)
* brown-tailed moth, brown-tail moth, browntail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea)
* buck moth (Hemileuca maia)
* bud moth (Spilonota ocellana)
* buff-tip moth (Phalera bucephala)
* buffalo moth* (Anthrenus spp., Attagenus spp.)
* bumblebee moth*
* burdock seedhead moth (Metzneria lappella)
* burnet companion moth (Euclidia glyphica)
* burnet moth* (Zygaenidae spp.)
* cabbage moth (Plutella xylostella)
* cacao moth (Ephestia elutella)
* cactus moth
* carpet moth (Tinea pellionella)
* case moth (Coleophoridae spp.)
* cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia)
* chestnut clearwing moth
* common clothes moth
* crotalaria moth (Utetheisa lotrix)
* chocolate moth (Cadra cautella)
* cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae)
* clearwing moth (Sesiidae spp. and Hemaris spp.)
* clothes moth (Tineidae spp.)
* clothing moth*
* codlin moth, codling moth (Cydia pomonella)
* comet moth (Argema mittrei)
* concealer moth (Oecophoridae spp.)
* cork moth
* corn moth (Tinea granella)
* corn borer moth (Pyrausta nubilalis)
* cosmet moth
* cotton leafworm moth (Alabama argillacea)
* cotton moth (Alabama argillacea)
* cup moth* (Limacodidae spp.)
* currant moth (Eupithecia assimilata, Abraxas grossulariata)
* currant-shoot moth (Incurvaria capitella)
* cutworm moth*
* cynthia moth (Samia cynthia)
* dagger moth* (Acronicta} spp.)
* dart moth (Agrotis spp.)
* day-moth* (Agaristinae spp.)
* death's head moth (Acherontia spp.)
* diamond-back moth, diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella)
* dot moth (Melanchra persicariae)
* drinker moth
* emperor moth* (Saturniinae spp.)
* ermine moth* (Yponomeutidae spp.)
* false owlet moth
* ficus tussock moth
* flour moth*
* flower moth*
* fox moth*
* fungus moth
* geometer moth*, geometrid moth* (Geometridae spp.)
* ghost moth* (Hepialus humuli, Hepialidae spp.)
* giant leopard moth
* giant peacock moth
* gipsy moth, gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar)
* goat moth
* gold moth
* gooseberry-moth
* grass moth
* harnessed moth
* herald moth
* hag moth (Phobetron pithecium)
* hawk moth*, hawk-moth, hawkmoth
* honeycomb moth (Galleria mellonella)
* hummingbird moth (Hemaris thysbe)
* imperial moth
* Indian meal moth
* io moth, Io moth
* kitten moth
* laced day-moth
* lackey moth
* lappet moth
* Laysan hedyleptan moth
* leafroller moth*, leaf roller moth
* leek moth
* leopard moth
* lichen moth
* like a moth to a flame
* like a moth to flame, like a moth to the flame
* litter moth
* lobster moth
* luna moth
* magpie moth*
* many-plumed moth
* meal moth
* Mediterranean flour moth
* miller moth*
* mill moth
* mint moth
* moon moth
* moth ball, moth-ball, mothball
* moth blight (Aleurodes spp. or Aleurodidae spp.)
* moth borer
* moth butterfly (Liphyra brassolis)
* moth-eaten
* mothed
* moth-er, mother
* Mother Shipton moth (Callistege mi)
* moth flower
* moth fly* (Psychodidae spp.)
* moth freckle
* moth-fretted, moth-fretten
* moth gnat* (Psychodidae spp.)
* moth hawk* (Caprimulgidae spp.)
* moth hunter* (Caprimulgidae spp.)
* moth lacewing (Ithonidae spp.)
* mothless
* moth-like, mothlike
* moth midge* (Psychodidae spp.)
* moth miller
* moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
* moth orchid* (Phalaenopsis spp.)
* moth patch
* moth plant* (Phalaenopsis spp.)
* moth-proof, mothproof
* moth sphinx* (Castniidae spp.)
* moth spot
* moth-time
* mothweed
* moth wing
* mothwort
* mothy
* mouse moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis)
* night moth ( (Noctuidae)
* northern scurfy Quaker moth
* November moth (Epirrita dilutata)
* nun moth
* oak processionary moth
* ochre-winged hag moth (Lithacodes fasciola)
* olive moth
* Oriental fruit moth
* oriental leafworm moth
* owlet moth* (Noctuidae spp.)
* owl moth*
* pale November moth
* Pandora sphinx moth
* pantry moth
* parsnip moth
* pasture day moth (Apina callisto)
* pea moth
* peach fruit moth
* peacock moth
* pear leaf blister moth
* peppered moth
* Pernyi moth
* Picasso moth
* pitch moth
* plume moth
* polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus)
* potato moth
* privet hawk moth
* processionary moth
* prominent moth
* pug-moth
* puss moth
* rabbit moth
* rice moth
* rosy marsh moth
* royal walnut moth
* rustic moth
* satin moth
* salt marsh moth
* scallop moth
* sea moth
* seed moth
* sequoia pitch moth
* shipton moth
* short-cloaked moth
* silkmoth*
* silkworm moth
* silver moth
* skiff moth (Prolimacodes badia)
* slug moth* (Limacodidae spp/)
* snout moth
* South American bollworm moth
* southern flannel moth
* sphinx moth
* spongy moth
* Sri Lankan tussar silk moth
* summer fruit tortrix moth
* sunflower moth
* sunset moth
* swallow-tailed moth
* swift moth
* tapestry moth (Tinea pellionella)
* teak moth
* tiger moth* (Arctiidae spp.)
* tobacco moth (Ephestia elutella)
* tomato moth
* tree lucerne moth
* tropical warehouse moth
* turnip moth
* turpentine moth
* tussock moth* (Lymantriinae spp.)
* twirler moth
* unicorn moth (Schizura unicornis)
* V moth
* veneer moth
* vine moth, vine-moth
* wasp moth
* wax moth*
* Washington udea moth
* waterlily leafcutter moth
* webbing clothes moth
* webmoth, web moth*
* webworm moth
* wheat moth
* white-fringed pyrausta moth
* wine moth* (Oinophila spp.)
* winter moth (Operophtera brumata)
* witch moth* (Thermesiini spp.)
* wool moth
* Y moth (Autographa gamma)
* yellow-shouldered slug moth (Lithacodes fasciola)
* yucca moth (Tegeticula yuccasella)
* Entries with derived terms containing ''moth''

##### Translations
#### Verb

moth (third-person singular simple present moths, present participle mothing, simple past and past participle mothed)
* (intransitive) To hunt for moths.

#### See also

* butterfly
* caterpillar
* worm
* jumping bristletails, archaeognathans (Archaeognatha)
* cockroaches and termites, blattodeans (Blattodea)
* beetles, coleopterans (Coleoptera)
* earwigs, dermapterans (Dermaptera)
* flies, dipterans (Diptera)
* webspinners, embiopterans (Embioptera)
* mayflies, ephemeropterans (Ephemeroptera)
* ice crawlers, grylloblattodeans (Grylloblattodea)
* true bugs, hemipterans (Hemiptera)
* hymenopterans (ants, bees, wasps, etc.) (Hymenoptera)
* butterflies and moths, lepidopterans (Lepidoptera)
* mantises, mantodeans (Mantodea)
* mantophasmids (Mantophasmatodea)
* scorpionflies, mecopterans (Mecoptera)
* megalopterans (alderflies, dobsonflies, fishflies, etc.) (Megaloptera)
* neuropterans (antlions, lacewings, mantisflies, etc.) (Neuroptera)
* damselflies and dragonflies, odonatans (Odonata)
* orthopterans (crickets, grasshoppers, katydids, etc.) (Orthoptera)
* stick insects, phasmatodeans (Phasmatodea)
* stoneflies, plecopterans (Plecoptera)
* booklice, psocodeans (Psocodea)
* snakeflies, raphidiopterans (Raphidioptera)
* fleas, siphonapterans (Siphonaptera)
* strepsipterans (Strepsiptera)
* thrips, thysanopterans (Thysanoptera)
* caddis flies, trichopterans (Trichoptera)
* zorapterans (Zoraptera)
* silverfish, zygentomans (Zygentoma)

### Etymology 2

From Hindi मोठ (moṭh); see moth bean.

#### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /məʊt/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (General American) enPR: mōt, IPA: /moʊt/
* Rhymes: -əʊt
* Homophones: moat, mote

#### Noun

moth (countable and uncountable, plural moths)
* A moth bean plant (Vigna aconitifolia).

##### Synonyms

* (Vigna aconitifolia): Turkish gram, mat bean, matki

##### Derived terms

* moth bean
* moth flour

##### Translations
#### References

* Vigna aconitifolia on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* Vigna aconitifolia on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
* Category:Vigna aconitifolia on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
* moth at USDA Plants database

### Etymology 3

Alternative form of mot (“woman; wife”), likely under influence from Irish maith (“goodness”).

#### Noun

moth (plural moths)
* (Ireland, slang) A girlfriend.

### Etymology 4
#### Noun

moth (plural moths)
* Obsolete form of mote.
** c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:So that, dear lords, if I be left behind, / A moth of peace, and he go to the war, / The rites for which I love him are bereft me, / And I a heavy interim shall support / By his dear absence. Let me go with him.
* (dated) A liver spot, especially an irregular or feathery one.
** 1895, Good Housekeeping, page 196, ISSN: 0731-3462
    To remove moth patches, wash the spots with a solution of common bicarbonate of soda and water several times a day, until the patches are removed, which will usually be in forty-eight hours.
** 1999, R. L. Gupta, Directory of Diseases & Cures: In Homoeopathy, →ISBN, page 254:Craves for sour things, chalks and eggs, fatty people with light brown spots on the face or liver spots, moth patches on forehead and cheek.
** 2005, J. D. Patil, Textbook of Applied Materia Medica, →ISBN, page 108:There are signs of liver affections as weakness, yellow complexion, liver spots, and moth spot like a saddle over the nose.

#### References
### Anagrams

* Thom

## Old Irish
### Etymology

The word also carried the original meaning of "male organ," from Proto-Celtic *muto-, from Proto-Indo-European *mHú-to- (“strong one”), perhaps later "penis," related to Hittite [script needed] (mūwa, “something awe-inspiring”) and Luwian [script needed] (mūwa-, “to overpower”), possibly also Latin muto (“penis”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /moθ/

### Noun

moth m
* amazement, stupor
** c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 68$^b$9
    cia beith ar n‑acathar nech inna rétu inducbaidi in betha so, arnach·corathar i mmoth ⁊ machthad dia seirc ⁊ dia n‑accuburthough it be that someone sees the glorious things of this world, that he may not be put in stupor and admiration by love for them and by desire for them

#### Declension

* $^H$ = triggers aspiration
* $^L$ = triggers lenition
* $^N$ = triggers nasalization

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

### References

* ↑ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “muto”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 282
* ↑ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “muto”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 398

### Further reading

* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 moth”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

## Welsh
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /moːθ/

### Noun

moth
* Nasal mutation of both.

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.