online medical dictionary | definition of luna

1. The moon.

2. <chemistry> Silver.

<chemistry> Luna cornea, a very large and beautiful American moth (Actias luna). Its wings are delicate light green, with a stripe of purple along the front edge of the anterior wings, the other margins being edged with pale yellow. Each wing has a lunate spot surrounded by rings of light yellow, blue, and black. The caterpillar commonly feeds on the hickory, sassafras, and maple.

Origin: L.; akin to lucere to shine. See Light, and cf. Lune.

(01 Mar 1998)