hawk moth

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A nocturnal lepidopterous or heterocerous insect of the family Sphingidæ, in a broad sense; a sphinx-moth or sphinx: so called from the mode of flight, which is likened to the hovering or “wind-hovering” of a hawk. The species are numerous, and are referred to several modern families and many genera.

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

• (Zoöl.) Any moth of the family Sphingidæ, of which there are numerous genera and species. They are large, handsome moths with long narrow forewings capable of powerful flight and hovering over flowers to feed. They fly mostly at twilight and hover about flowers like a humming bird, sucking the honey by means of a long, slender proboscis. The larvæ are large, hairless caterpillars ornamented with green and other bright colors, and often with a caudal spine. See sphinx, also Tobacco worm, and Tomato worm.

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

• noun Any moth of the family Sphingidae.

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

• noun any of various moths with long narrow forewings capable of powerful flight and hovering over flowers to feed
• noun any of various moths with long narrow forewings capable of powerful flight and hovering over flowers to feed