The Collaborative International Dictionary
Lackey \Lack"ey\, n.; pl. Lackeys. [F. laquais; cf. Sp. & Pg. lacayo; of uncertain origin; perh. of German origin, and akin to E. lick, v.] An attending male servant; a footman; a servile follower.
Like a Christian footboy or a gentleman's lackey.
--Shak.
Lackey caterpillar (Zo["o]l.), the caterpillar, or larva, of any bombycid moth of the genus Clisiocampa; -- so called from its party-colored markings. The common European species ( Clisiocampa neustria) is striped with blue, yellow, and red, with a white line on the back. The American species ( Clisiocampa Americana and Clisiocampa sylvatica) are commonly called tent caterpillars. See Tent caterpillar, under Tent.
Lackey moth (Zo["o]l.), the moth which produces the lackey caterpillar.
Usage examples of "tent caterpillars".
The clematis, buddleia, and wisteria were overgrown and infested with tent caterpillars.
I mean to say, tent caterpillars and influenza don't do us any good, Meade, if statistics mean anything, this tired old planet hasn't seen a jackpot like this since Eve went into the apple business.
If there's an infestation of tent caterpillars in the orchard, or Japanese beetles.
She cast a disparaging glance at the tent caterpillars in the Newsomes' crab-apple tree and clucked her tongue at the rusted antenna that halfheartedly clung to the Newsomes' chimney.
She served him his meal and cleared it away for him, and went back to the orchard where she and Therru and Shandy were burning off a plague of tent caterpillars that threatened to destroy the new-set fruit.