Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Eaten away by moth larvae.
  • adjective Old and timeworn.
  • adjective Shabby; decrepit.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective having holes due to eating by moths or moth larvae; -- of cloth or clothing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Containing holes by having been eaten by moth larvae.
  • adjective old and in poor condition

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective worn or eaten away by (or as if by) moths
  • adjective lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new
  • adjective showing signs of wear and tear

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word moth-eaten.

Examples

  • Some of your garments are moth-eaten, others are a load to your coffers, and a needless trouble to their possessors, while He who gave you these and all else that you possess goes naked.

    Scripture 2009

  • For raw emotional power, however, perhaps no relic in the book can beat a moth-eaten, red-white-and-blue Canadiens sweater known in Quebec as la sainte flanelle , worn in the early 1930s.

    The Glorious and The Gruesome Michael Woodsworth 2011

  • It's become the TV equivalent of easy-listening music, like what Friends and Scrubs became in their later years, unchallenging, unsurprising, but familiar and comfortable like an old moth-eaten teddy bear or pacifier.

    The /Filmcast: After Dark - Ep. 90 - Comparing the US Office with the UK Office (GUEST: Eric Vespe from Ain’t It Cool News) | /Film 2010

  • Some of your garments are moth-eaten, others are a load to your coffers, and a needless trouble to their possessors, while He who gave you these and all else that you possess goes naked.

    Saints 2009

  • Even consider that stretched-out, moth-eaten, Shetland sweater covered with fuzz balls.

    Old Clothes Teri Agins 2010

  • A moth-eaten cap perched atop his wispy, balding head.

    Earl of Durkness Alix Rickloff 2011

  • A moth-eaten cap perched atop his wispy, balding head.

    Earl of Durkness Alix Rickloff 2011

  • A moth-eaten old vagrant called The Pirate, who lives in a shack with his many dogs, promises St. Francis a golden candlestick in exchange for saving a sick pup.

    Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat 2009

  • There was no one else to keep her from running completely amok, no one besides me who could stop her from packing the porch with “antiques,” from allowing the closets to overflow with moth-eaten sweaters and the backyard to go wild.

    Dirty Secret Jessie Sholl 2011

  • Some of your garments are moth-eaten, others are a load to your coffers, and a needless trouble to their possessors, while He who gave you these and all else that you possess goes naked.

    Jesus Christ 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.