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Glite Dictionary
domesticated silkworm moth

domesticated silkworm moth

8.1
A creamy white Asian moth bred by people whose caterpillars make most silk
  • noun
  • /dəˈmɛstɪˌkeɪtɪd ˈsɪlkwɜrm mɔθ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : gusano de seda doméstico
  • After pupating, the domesticated silkworm moth emerges but usually cannot fly due to generations of selective breeding.

Examples

  • Farmers raise domesticated silkworm moths for their cocoons.

  • China has a long tradition of breeding the domesticated silkworm moth for silk production.

  • The domesticated silkworm moth is no longer found in the wild and relies entirely on humans to survive.

  • The domesticated silkworm moth is essential for silk production.

  • China has a long tradition of breeding the domesticated silkworm moth for silk production.

  • Farmers raise domesticated silkworm moths for their cocoons.

  • The domesticated silkworm moth is no longer found in the wild and relies entirely on humans to survive.

Synonyms

Bombyx mori
vsdomesticated silkworm moth
  • Specialized
9.1

An Asian moth kept by people whose caterpillar, the silkworm, makes silk for cloth

is the common English name used instead of the scientific term
domestic silkworm moth
vsdomesticated silkworm moth
7.2

A small moth that people breed to make silk

focuses on its role as the primary source of commercial silk
silkworm moth
vsdomesticated silkworm moth
4.7

A moth whose caterpillars make silk threads used to make cloth

is the narrow name for the single domesticated Asian producer of silk

Surface Forms

domesticated silkworm moth singular
domesticated silkworm moths plural

Morphology

domesticated + silkworm + moth

The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'silkworm moth' identifies the moth associated with silkworms and 'domesticated' indicates bred or kept by humans. A B1 learner who knows 'domesticated', 'silkworm', and 'moth' can infer this refers to the captive-bred moth (Bombyx mori) used for silk production, with no idiomatic or metaphorical shift.

Etymology

Domesticated silkworm moth The name comes from people in Asia raising silkworms at home for silk for many centuries. These insects were bred so they often cannot live in the wild and so 'depend on humans', which is why the name means a moth kept by people for 'silk production'.