1. a large moth with a thick body and narrow wings that can hover while feeding on flowers

Examples

• The hawkmoth hovered at the petunias like a tiny hummingbird.
• We watched a hawkmoth feed from the honeysuckle at dusk.
• The garden attracted several species of hawkmoth during summer evenings.
• A hawkmoth’s long proboscis allows it to reach nectar in deep flowers.
• The children were amazed by the hawkmoth’s ability to fly backwards.
• Hawkmoths are important pollinators for many night-blooming plants.