Moth
nounA flying insect related to the butterfly, typically nocturnal and often drawn to artificial light.
How to spell moth
4 letters · 1 syllable
How to pronounce moth
What does moth mean?
- nounA flying insect related to the butterfly, typically nocturnal and often drawn to artificial light.
Moth in a sentence
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A large moth kept circling the porch light all evening.
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She found a moth had chewed a hole in her wool jumper.
Where does moth come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
This word comes straight from Old English, where it appeared as 'moþþe' or 'moððe', a name for the small winged insect known for eating cloth. It belongs to a wider Germanic family, with close relatives in the Dutch 'mot' and the German 'Motte', all describing the same fluttering, fabric-nibbling creature. The Old English form had no clear connection to any verb or root beyond the insect itself, so it has always been a simple, standalone noun. For centuries the moth was associated chiefly with damage to wool and clothing, which is why phrases about being 'moth-eaten' carry the sense of something old and worn. The spelling has barely changed over the centuries, settling into the tidy four-letter form we use today.
How the word is built
- moth (a single, unanalysable root from Old English moþþe)
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