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Glite Dictionary
Bombyx mori

Bombyx mori

9.1
An Asian moth kept by people whose caterpillar, the silkworm, makes silk for cloth
  • noun
  • /ˈbɑːmbɪks ˈmɔːraɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Bombyx mori
  • The larva of the moth Bombyx mori is harvested for silk production.

Examples

  • Farmers raise Bombyx mori in controlled environments to ensure high-quality silk.

  • The silkworm Bombyx mori has acquired the ability to circumvent alkaloids in the latex of mulberry plants.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Bombyx mori is an essential species in the silk industry, cultivated for its valuable fibers.

Synonyms

domesticated silkworm moth
vsBombyx mori
  • Specialized
8.1

A creamy white Asian moth bred by people whose caterpillars make most silk

is the precise scientific species name for that domesticated Asian moth
domestic silkworm moth
vsBombyx mori
7.2

A small moth that people breed to make silk

focuses on the larval role as the main source of commercial silk
silkworm moth
vsBombyx mori
4.7

A moth whose caterpillars make silk threads used to make cloth

is the single domesticated Asian species known mainly for producing commercial silk

Surface Forms

Bombyx mori singular
Bombyx moris plural

Morphology

Bombyx + mori

This is a Latin binomial: 'Bombyx' indicates the genus of silk‑producing moths, so a learner who knows that can infer the phrase names a particular species in that genus. However 'mori' is not a common English word and the precise sense 'domesticated Asian moth whose larva is the commercial silkworm' requires specialized biological knowledge, so the meaning is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Bombyx mori may come from old words meaning Bombyx 'silkworm' and mori 'of the mulberry'. The moth's caterpillars eat mulberry leaves and make silk, so the name points to the domesticated silkworm that produces commercial silk.