raisin moth
- noun
- /ˈreɪzən mɔθ/
- Specialized
:
polilla de las pasas
- The raisin moth is a serious pest for raisin producers in California.
Examples
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Dried figs in storage can be ruined by infestation with the raisin moth.
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The raisin moth can cause significant damage to stored food.
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Farmers take measures to control raisin moth populations and protect their crops.
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Many raisin moths invade pantries during the summer.
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The raisin moth larvae can ruin bags of dried fruit left unattended in the pantry.
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To avoid contamination, it's important to check for raisin moth infestations in dried foods.
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Farmers often inspect their stored grains for raisin moth before selling their products.
Synonyms
A small moth whose caterpillars eat dried fruit and cereals
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'raisin moth' transparently combines 'raisin' (dried grape) and 'moth' (an insect) to indicate a moth associated with raisins or dried fruit; a B1 learner who knows both words would naturally infer it refers to a moth that infests or is found on raisins. This follows common noun+noun compounding and cross-linguistic patterns of naming pests by their host, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
Raisin moth is a name for a small insect whose young eat dried fruit. The name links the two words: the moth is often found in raisins and other dried fruit, so it now means 'a pest that damages stored dried fruit'.
