sphinx moth : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: sphinx moth	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for sphinx moth
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
sphinx moth n any of various moths with long narrow forewings capable of powerful flight and hovering over flowers to feed Synonym(s): hawkmoth, hawk moth, sphingid, sphinx moth, hummingbird moth
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
The awful ruins of the days of old . . . Or jasper tomb, or mutilated sphinx. --Shelley. (b) On Greek art and mythology, a she-monster, usually represented as having the winged body of a lion, and the face and breast of a young woman. Note: The most famous Grecian sphinx, that of Thebes in B[oe]otia, is said to have proposed a riddle to the Thebans, and killed those who were unable to guess it. The enigma was solved by [OE]dipus, whereupon the sphinx slew herself. [bd]Subtle as sphinx.[b8] --Shak. 2. Hence: A person of enigmatical character and purposes, especially in politics and diplomacy. 3. (Zo[94]l.) Any one of numerous species of large moths of the family {Sphingid[91]}; -- called also {hawk moth}. Note: The larva is a stout naked caterpillar which, when at rest, often assumes a position suggesting the Egyptian sphinx, whence the name. 4. (Zo[94]l.) The Guinea, or sphinx, baboon ({Cynocephalus sphinx}). {Sphinx baboon} (Zo[94]l.), a large West African baboon ({Cynocephalus sphinx}), often kept in menageries. {Sphinx moth}. (Zo[94]l.) Same as {Sphinx}, 3.