Dictionary

moth-er en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmɒðə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈmɑθɚ/ (cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈmɑðɚ/ (cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈmɒθə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈmɔðɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈmɔθɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

Coined from moth + -er (agent noun suffix) or + -er (occupational suffix) by analogy to mouser, with the hyphen kept to avoid confusion with mother (“female parent”).

Meanings

1. A person (especially an entomologist) or animal that catches moths.
   • National Moth Week celebrates the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths. “Moth-ers” of all ages and abilities are encouraged to learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, and neighborhoods. 2026 July 20, “National Moth Week”, in Gardening For Life Project:
   • Many species of bats are skilled ‘moth-ers’: they pursue them at speed after detecting them[.] 1997, Joshua M. Epstein, Nonlinear Dynamics, Mathematical Biology, and Social Science:
   • Real moth-ers, mothies or lepidopterists, will use a mercury vapour bulb and even a special trap[.] 2015, Tessa Wardley, The Countryside Book: 101 Ways To Play, Watch Wildlife, ...:
   • “Everyone can be a moth-er!” - Liti Haramaty, National Moth Week co-founder. 2021 July 10, “Hey kids and families, Moth Week is almost here!”, in Mongabey Kids:
   • Modern moth-ers use black lights, mercury vapor lamps, and portable generators to saturate the night sky[.] 1997 May, Backpacker, volume 25, number 4, page 30:
   • Heiner Zeigler, one of the most prodigious avocation mothers I have seen on iNat, has put an enormous amount of effort into his web site documenting the Lepidoptera of Costa Rica. 2026 May 26, LostInCR, “Some ID Statistics”, in iNatForum:

Forms