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Glite Dictionary
geometrid

geometrid

9.9
A slender moth with wide wings whose caterpillars are inchworms
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒiːəʊˌmɛtrɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : geometrido
  • During the summer months, I love to watch geometrids fluttering around the garden at dusk.

Examples

  • The geometrid moth is easily recognized by its slender body and broad wings.

  • Tortricids and geometrids, which had 27 and 8 species, respectively, on the complete list, were represented by only three and one species, respectively, on the high-impact list.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Many gardeners are familiar with geometrids, as their larvae, known as inchworms, can often be found on plants.

Synonyms

geometrid moth
vsgeometrid
  • Specialized
9.3

A thin moth with broad wings whose caterpillar is called an inchworm

is the same meaning but used as the shorter single word form

Compounds

geometrid moth
  • Specialized
9.3

A thin moth with broad wings whose caterpillar is called an inchworm

Surface Forms

geometrid singular
geometrids plural

Morphology

geometrid = geometer (opaque) = geometr + id

The suffix '-id' marks membership (as in biological family terms), but knowing 'geometer' or 'geometry' does not allow a learner to predict that the word names a moth; the semantic shift is specialized.

Etymology

The word geometrid comes from Greek roots geo- 'earth' and -metron 'measure', the same root you find in geometry. It got this name because the caterpillars move in a looping, inching way that looks like they are 'measuring' the ground, so the name fits the moth and its inchworm larvae.