Bombyx
/ˈbɒm.bɪks/noun
A silkworm moth, especially one of the genus Bombyx.
Did you know?Bombyx entered scientific Latin from Greek βομβύξ (bombýx), a word tied to the silkworm and silk, and its buzzing, doubled sound helped make it feel almost incantatory in later learned usage.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βομβύξ (bombýx)
“A silkworm or silkworm moth; by extension, silk”
Classical Latin
Latin
bombyx
“Silk or a silkworm”
Medieval Latin
Latin
bombyx
“A silkworm; silk-producing moth”
16th–18th Century
English
bombyx
“Used in learned scientific and natural-history writing for the silkworm moth”
Modern English
English
bombyx
“A silkworm moth, especially of the genus Bombyx”