First recorded in 1375–1425.
Comes from Latin, from the past participle of inveterāre, “to grow old, allow to grow old, preserve.\"
Inveterāre contains veter-, the stem of vetus, meaning “old,\" which is also the stem of the word veteran.
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF INVETERATE\r\n

The inveterate procrastinator always left things until the last minute.
As an inveterate optimist, she always saw the bright side of every situation.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Submit now!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/I02/I0281600.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"adjective","data":"settled or confirmed in a habit, practice, feeling, or the like."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/inveterate_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"fqbdYytsCvM5tfPX9TNdw","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"diamine","entry":"diamine"},{"slug":"diammonium-phosphate","entry":"diammonium phosphate"},{"slug":"diamond","entry":"diamond"},{"slug":"diamond-anniversary","entry":"diamond anniversary"},{"slug":"diamondback","entry":"diamondback"}],"after":[{"slug":"diamondback-rattlesnake","entry":"diamondback rattlesnake"},{"slug":"diamondback-terrapin","entry":"diamondback terrapin"},{"slug":"diamond-bar","entry":"Diamond Bar"},{"slug":"diamond-bird","entry":"diamond bird"},{"slug":"diamond-drill","entry":"diamond drill"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"diamondback-moth"},"requestId":"DMqwZNZGQ3jCShcv7RiWb","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"diamondback-moth"},"requestId":"kYcStD_GJrTkoqg8YLszJ","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"diamondback moth","slug":"diamondback-moth"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"a moth,\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"Plutella maculipennis,\", \"type\": \"emphasis\"}, {\"text\": \"having brownish wings marked with diamond-shaped, yellow spots in the male, the larvae of which feed on the leaves of cabbages and other cruciferous plants.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":null,"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"diamondback-moth"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"diamondback-moth"},"requestId":"t_P39eugzRSMDmb434lS8","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"diamondback-moth","displayForm":"diamondback moth","canonicalSlug":"diamondback-moth","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6367fd.4675","type":"normal","entry":"diamondback moth","entrySyllabified":"diamondback moth","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":null,"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"a moth, Plutella maculipennis, having brownish wings marked with diamond-shaped, yellow spots in the male, the larvae of which feed on the leaves of cabbages and other cruciferous plants.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":["Also called cabbage moth. "],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":43110,"index-rank-01":["diamondback moth"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["diamondback moth's","diamondback moths","diamondback moths'"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"complexityScore":0.5181339076821565,"gradeLevel":"post_college","tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"diamondback-moth"},"requestId":"0EEbAMz99DdV3S2R9n6Hp","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":[],"tuna":["diamondlike","diamonds","diamond","summon back","hand back","demoniac","date back","turned back","money back"],"lunaWithSlug":[],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"diamondlike","slug":"diamondlike"},{"displayForm":"diamonds","slug":"diamonds"},{"displayForm":"diamond","slug":"diamond"},{"displayForm":"summon back","slug":"summon%20back"},{"displayForm":"hand back","slug":"hand%20back"},{"displayForm":"demoniac","slug":"demoniac"},{"displayForm":"date back","slug":"date%20back"},{"displayForm":"turned back","slug":"turned%20back"},{"displayForm":"money back","slug":"money%20back"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"diamondback-moth"},"requestId":"oXVCx7U80GpGKSaNas5kd","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

diamondback moth

noun

Word of the Day