Bombyx

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A classification of moths known for their ability to produce silk fibers
2. A group of moths that includes the species renowned for their silk production, especially used in fabric creation
3. A genus of moths recognized for generating silk that humans harvest for textile manufacture

Etymology: Ancient Greek had a word, "bómbux," that meant the silkworm and also the cotton-like fibre it spun, and Latin borrowed it as "bombyx" with the same sense. The Greek term is thought to be imitative of a dull, humming or buzzing sound, which is the same root behind the English "bombast," originally a cotton padding used to stuff garments before the word came to mean inflated, empty speech. Modern biologists took the Latin form and made it the scientific genus name for the silk moths, the group whose caterpillars produce the silk that has been woven for thousands of years.