hawk moth Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of various moths with long narrow forewings capable of powerful flight and hovering over flowers to feed
    hawkmoth; sphinx moth; sphingid; hummingbird moth.

WordNet

Hawk" moth`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any moth of the family Sphingidæ, of which there are numerous genera and species. They are large, handsome moths, which fly mostly at twilight and hover about flowers like a humming bird, sucking the honey by means of a long, slender proboscis. The larvæ are large, hairless caterpillars ornamented with green and other bright colors, and often with a caudal spine. See Sphinx, also Tobacco worm, and Tomato worm. Tobacco Hawk Moth (Macrosila Carolina), and its Larva, the Tobacco Worm. ✍ The larvæ of several species of hawk moths feed on grapevines. The elm-tree hawk moth is Ceratomia Amyntor.

Webster 1913