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Glite Dictionary
leaf-roller

leaf-roller

8.9
A moth whose caterpillars roll and tie leaves with silk to make a nest
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : oruga enrolladora
  • The caterpillar of the leaf-roller can cause significant damage to crops by rolling up leaves.

Examples

  • Gardeners often look for signs of a leaf-roller infestation in the spring and summer.

  • A biologist collected several leaf-rollers for her entomology research project.

  • The leaf-roller is a fascinating insect.

  • Many leaf-rollers can be found in gardens.

  • Gardeners often check for leaf-rollers in their plants because these larvae can damage leaves.

  • The leaf-roller moth uses silk to roll leaves together, creating a protective nest for its larvae.

  • During the summer, farmers watch for leaf-rollers that can harm their crops by tying leaves with silk.

Synonyms

leaf roller
vsleaf-roller
  • Specialized
8.4

A small moth whose caterpillars roll leaves and tie them with silk to make a nest

is often used for members especially belonging to one particular moth family
tortricid moth
vsleaf-roller
  • Specialized
9.9

A small moth whose caterpillars roll leaves and eat fruit

focuses on the larvae rolling and tying leaves to form nests
Tortrix
vsleaf-roller
  • Specialized
9.9

A small moth whose caterpillars roll leaves and can damage fruit crops

refers more generally to moths defined by larvae that roll and tie leaves

Surface Forms

leaf-roller singular
leaf-rollers plural

Morphology

leaf-roller = leaf + roller (transparent) = leaf + roller

The compound is a straightforward agentive composition: 'leaf' + 'roller' = something that rolls leaves, which learners can infer from its parts.

Etymology

Leaf-roller comes from the simple English parts leaf and roller, where a 'roller' is something that 'rolls'. It names a moth whose caterpillar rolls and ties leaves with silk to make a small nest, which is why the name fits.