moths

Noun (1)

moth (plural moths)

1. Any flying insect of the order Lepidoptera not in the superfamily Papilionoidea, most species of which are nocturnal and can be distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
   • 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.2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7
2. (figuratively) Anything that gradually and silently eats, consumes, or wastes any other thing.

Noun (2)

moth (countable and uncountable, plural moths)

1. A moth bean plant (Vigna aconitifolia).

   Synonyms:

   Turkish gram, mat bean, matki

Noun (3)

moth (plural moths)

1. (Ireland, slang) A girlfriend.

Noun (4)

moth (plural moths)

1. (dated) A liver spot, especially an irregular or feathery one.
   • 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.1895, Good Housekeeping, page 196, ISSN: 0731-3462

See all 6 meanings of moth