clothes moth
- noun
- /kloʊðz mɔθ/
:
polilla de la ropa
- The clothes moths are damaging my favorite sweater.
Examples
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The clothes moth caused small holes in my favorite sweater.
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Keep your closet clean to prevent a clothes moth infestation.
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She discovered that clothes moths had ruined her wool coat over the winter.
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I found a clothes moth in my closet.
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The clothes moth larvae damaged several expensive wool sweaters in the closet.
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She found a clothes moth fluttering around her favorite dress, prompting her to check for infestations.
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To prevent damage, it's important to store winter garments away from clothes moths.
Synonyms
A small moth whose caterpillars eat and make holes in wool and fur
A small pale insect whose young make webs and eat clothes
A small moth whose young caterpillars live in little tubes and eat fabrics
A small moth whose larvae live in silk tubes and eat cloth made from natural fibers
A small moth whose caterpillars eat wool and cloth made from animals
A small moth whose young eat wool and other fabrics
A group of small moths that includes common clothes moths that eat natural fibres
A small yellowish moth whose caterpillars eat wool, fur and other animal fibers
A group of small moths whose caterpillars eat natural fibers like wool and clothing
A small moth whose caterpillars eat carpets and other wool items
A small moth whose young eat wool carpets and make holes
A small moth whose young eat carpets and other wool items
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'clothes' + 'moth' denotes a moth associated with or affecting clothing, which matches the given definition. This straightforward noun–noun compound follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Clothes moth is named for a simple picture: a small moth whose young caterpillars live in and eat your clothes, especially wool. So a clothes moth means a moth 'that eats or damages clothing'.
