DictionaryAI

moth

USMAWTH/mɔθ/UKMOTH/mɒθ/

Pluralmoths

Verbmoths, mothing, mothed

6 meanings of moth

Practice

  1. 1
    insectnouncountable
    An insect like a butterfly that usually flies at night and has feelers without a knob at the end.

    Like a butterfly that comes out at night instead of in the daytime.

    A moth flew toward the porch light last night.

    Several moths kept fluttering around the lamp on the table.

    UsageLike a moth to a flame: pulled toward something.

    Note
  2. 2
    slow destroyernounfigurativelycountable
    Something that slowly and quietly eats away at, wastes, or destroys another thing.

    Worry was a moth, slowly eating away at her happiness.

    Debt is a moth that quietly destroys a family's savings.

    Similarcanker, blight, cancer

    Note
  3. 3
    insect huntingverbintransitive
    To go looking for moths, often at night with a light.

    Like going birdwatching, but for moths after dark.

    They like to moth in the woods behind their house.

    We went mothing every weekend last summer.

    UsageSay go mothing.

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    girlfriendnounslangIrelandcountable
    A man's girlfriend, the woman he is dating.

    He brought his moth to the party on Friday night.

    My brother's moth works at the bakery on Main Street.

    Similargirlfriend, sweetheart

    Note
  2. 5
    noundatedcountable
    A small brown mark on the skin, especially one with uneven, feathery edges.
    There are signs of liver affections as weakness, yellow complexion, liver spots, and moth spot like a saddle over the nose.
    2005, J. D. Patil, Textbook of Applied Materia MedicaHere, moth means a brown mark on the skin with uneven edges.
    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.
    1999, R. L. Gupta, Directory of Diseases & Cures: In Homoeopathy
    Note
  3. 6
    noun
    A bean plant grown in dry parts of South Asia for its small edible seeds.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–3

From Old English moþþe, meaning a destructive insect larva. It goes back to older Germanic and Indo-European words for "worm".

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Meaning 4

Another form of mot ("woman; wife"), probably influenced by Irish maith ("goodness").

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts