Adjacent Words

moth-eaten definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: showing signs of wear and tear; "a ratty old overcoat"; "shabby furniture"; "an old house with dirty windows and tatty curtains" [syn: moth-eaten, ratty, shabby, tatty]
2: worn or eaten away by (or as if by) moths; "moth-eaten blankets" [syn: moth-eaten, mothy]
3: lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new; "moth- eaten theories about race"; "stale news" [syn: cold, stale, dusty, moth-eaten]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 14th century 1. eaten into by moth larvae <moth-eaten clothes> 2. a. dilapidated b. antiquated, outmoded

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Moth-eaten clothes look very old and have holes in them. ADJ 2. If you describe something as moth-eaten, you mean that it seems unattractive or useless because it is old or has been used too much. We drove through a somewhat moth-eaten deer park... This strategy looks increasingly moth-eaten. ADJ [disapproval]