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Glite Dictionary
sphingid

sphingid

1 9.9
A large moth with long narrow wings that hovers to feed from flowers
  • noun
  • /ˈsfɪŋɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : esfíngido
  • Gardeners often enjoy watching a sphingid glide gracefully among the blooms at dusk.

Examples

  • While hiking, I spotted a sphingid moth darting from one flower to another, its wings a blur.

  • A Sphingid.

    The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

  • The sphingid moth hovered near the colorful flowers, sipping nectar with its long proboscis.

Synonyms

hawk moth
vssphingid
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A large night insect with long wings that hovers to drink flower nectar

is the scientific family term used to refer to this whole group
hawkmoth
vssphingid
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A large moth with long wings that hovers to drink flower nectar

is the scientific family term used to refer to this whole group
sphinx moth
vssphingid
  • US
1 8.4

A large moth that hovers like a hummingbird to feed from flowers

is the scientific family term used to refer to this whole group

Surface Forms

sphingid singular
sphingids plural

Morphology

sphingid = Sphingidae (opaque) = sphing + id

Formed with the scientific suffix '-id' denoting a member of the family Sphingidae; this taxonomic formation is specialized and not transparently meaningful to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word sphingid comes from Sphinx, the mythic creature and famous Egyptian statue, because the caterpillar often lifts its front like a little sphinx. That's why a sphingid is a strong-flying moth of the 'sphinx' family that often hovers over flowers to feed.