hawk moth

American  

noun

1. any of numerous moths of the family Sphingidae, noted for their very swift flight and ability to hover while sipping nectar from flowers.

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hawk moth British  

noun

1. Also called: sphinx moth.   hummingbird moth.  any of various moths of the family Sphingidae, having long narrow wings and powerful flight, with the ability to hover over flowers when feeding from the nectar See also death's-head moth

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Etymology

Origin of hawk moth

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

On closer inspection, another feature of the hummingbird hawk moth quickly catches the eye: the spiralling curled proboscis, which is as long as the entire animal.

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2024

If I want to see what sort of creature the tomato hornworm becomes, I turn to Page 147 and find a large and handsome moth, the five-spotted hawk moth.

From Washington Post • Jan. 30, 2018

Immortalized in the horror movie The Silence of the Lambs and in folklore as a night-flying harbinger of doom, the death's head hawk moth has a ghoulish reputation.

From National Geographic • Aug. 11, 2015

The plant can no longer reproduce on its own because its only pollinator was a certain type of hawk moth that is now extinct.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2015

The proboscis of the death’s-head hawk moth is used as a kind of reed instrument, blown through to make high-pitched, reedy notes.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas