bombycid moth

9.9

A medium-sized Asian moth whose caterpillars eat mulberry leaves and make silk

noun

Indian

: polilla bombycida

Larvae of the bombycid moth feed exclusively on mulberry leaves.

Examples

The bombycid moth is essential to the silk industry due to its larvae's silk-producing ability.
Farmers cultivate bombycid moths in controlled environments to harvest silk.
Look at that bombycid moth fluttering around!
The bombycid moth is known for its silk production.
Farmers cultivate bombycid moths in controlled environments to harvest silk.
Larvae of the bombycid moth feed exclusively on mulberry leaves.
The bombycid moth is essential to the silk industry due to its larvae's silk-producing ability.

Synonyms

bombycid

vsbombycid moth

Specialized

9.9

A medium-sized moth from Asia whose caterpillars eat mulberry leaves and make silk

is identical in sense but used as the two word common form

silkworm moth

vsbombycid moth

4.7

A moth whose caterpillars make silk threads used to make cloth

is broader meaning Asiatic moderate moths that feed on mulberry

Surface Forms

bombycid moth singular

bombycid moths plural

Morphology

bombycid + moth

This is a straightforward, compositional noun phrase: 'bombycid' denotes a type of silk-producing moth and 'moth' is the head noun, so the phrase simply means 'a moth of the bombycid group'. A learner who knows both constituent meanings can derive the full meaning without idiomatic interpretation; it functions like a standard taxonomic subtype expression.

Etymology

Bombycid moth gets its name from the old word bombycid, which once meant 'silk', because its caterpillars eat mulberry leaves and spin lots of 'silk' to make cocoons. So the name reminds us that people raise this moth for 'silk'.