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Glite Dictionary
woolly bear moth

woolly bear moth

8.7
A hairy caterpillar with a thick, fuzzy coat and dark bands
  • noun
  • /ˈwʊli bɛr mɔθ/
  • US
translation icon : polilla oruga lanosa
  • The woolly bear moth is known for its fuzzy, banded appearance.

Examples

  • Every fall, children search the garden for the distinctive woolly bear moth caterpillar.

  • Scientists study the woolly bear moth to understand how it survives harsh winter temperatures.

  • I saw a woolly bear moth crawling on the sidewalk.

  • The woolly bear moth is known for its fuzzy appearance.

  • Every fall, children search the garden for the distinctive woolly bear moth caterpillar.

  • Scientists study the woolly bear moth to understand how it survives harsh winter temperatures.

  • The woolly bear moth is known for its fuzzy, banded appearance.

Synonyms

caterpillar
vswoolly bear moth
43 1.0

A soft young insect like a worm that becomes a butterfly or moth and eats leaves

is a specific fuzzy larva with very dense bristly hairs tied to Arctiidae
woolly bear
vswoolly bear moth
  • US
1 7.7

A furry caterpillar with black and brown bands that appears in gardens

is applied mainly to Arctiidae larvae not to all hairy larvae
woolly bear caterpillar
vswoolly bear moth
  • US
6.8

A hairy caterpillar with thick, stiff hairs that turns into a small moth

is specific to the Arctiidae family rather than many moth species

Antonyms

bald
280 1.0

Having little or no hair on the head

smooth-haired
3.2

Having short, flat hair that feels smooth to the touch

Surface Forms

woolly bear moth singular
woolly bear moths plural

Morphology

woolly + bear + moth

Knowing 'woolly' and 'moth' lets a learner infer a fuzzy insect, but 'bear' here is not the animal sense but part of a conventional name ('woolly bear') for a fuzzy caterpillar, so the precise referent and zoological nuance are not fully predictable. The phrase is partly compositional (a woolly moth-like creature) yet relies on a lexicalized name, making comprehension likely approximate but not exact for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Woolly bear moth comes from the caterpillar's furry look: people saw its thick, bristly hairs and called it a woolly bear because it looked like a tiny furry animal. That's why the name now means the 'fuzzy' 'caterpillar' of a moth.