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Glite Dictionary
codlin moth

codlin moth

9.9
A small grey moth whose young caterpillars eat the inside of apples and walnuts, damaging the fruit
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒdlɪn mɔθ/
  • UK
translation icon : polilla codling
  • The larvae of the codlin moth feed inside apples, causing significant damage to the harvest.

Examples

  • The larvae of the codlin moth bore into the fruit, making it unsuitable for sale.

  • The orchard suffered heavy losses after a codlin moth infestation destroyed many apples.

  • Farmers use traps and sprays to control the population of the codlin moth each year.

  • The codlin moth is known for damaging apple crops.

  • Farmers are concerned about codlin moths this season.

  • Farmers are alert to the threat of the codlin moth, which can ruin entire fruit crops.

  • After a severe infestation of codlin moths, the orchard's apple yield was drastically reduced.

Synonyms

codling moth
vscodlin moth
  • Specialized
8.9

A small grey insect whose young caterpillars eat the inside of apples and damage fruit

is the same species name but spelled in a different way
Carpocapsa pomonella
vscodlin moth
  • Archaic
9.9

A small grey moth whose larvae eat apples and walnuts

is the common name used in everyday language rather than technical term

Surface Forms

codlin moth singular
codlin moths plural

Morphology

codlin + moth

The compound is compositionally a type of moth (moth = insect) modified by 'codlin', so if a learner knew 'codlin' as a type of apple (codling/codlin) they could infer 'a moth associated with codlins/apples'. However 'codlin' is an obscure, dialectal/technical form and not transparent to a typical B1 learner, so the expression is only partially predictable from its parts.

Etymology

The noun codlin moth comes from an old farmers' word: codlin meant 'small apple', and the moth's caterpillars bored into those apples to eat them. So the name means 'moth that damages apples'.