butterfly

[buht-er-flahy]

noun

plural

butterflies 

1. any of numerous diurnal insects of the order Lepidoptera, characterized by clubbed antennae, a slender body, and large, broad, often conspicuously marked wings.

2. a person who flits aimlessly from one interest or group to another.

   a social butterfly.

3. (used with a plural verb),  butterflies, a queasy feeling, as from nervousness, excitement, etc.

4. a racing breaststroke, using a dolphin kick, in which the swimmer brings both arms out of the water in forward, circular motions.

5. Carpentry.,  butterfly wedge.

6. Sculpture.,  an X -shaped support attached to an armature.

7. one of the swinging brackets of a butterfly table.

8. Movies.,  a screen of scrim, gauze, or similar material, for diffusing light.

verb (used with object)

butterflied, butterflying 

1. Cooking.,  to slit open and spread apart to resemble the spread wings of a butterfly.

adjective

1. Cooking.,  split open and spread apart to resemble a butterfly.

   butterfly shrimp; butterfly steak.

butterfly

/ ˈbʌtəˌflaɪ /

noun

1. any diurnal insect of the order Lepidoptera that has a slender body with clubbed antennae and typically rests with the wings (which are often brightly coloured) closed over the back Compare moth

2. a person who never settles with one group, interest, or occupation for long

3. a swimming stroke in which the arms are plunged forward together in large circular movements

4. commerce the simultaneous purchase and sale of traded call options, at different exercise prices or with different expiry dates, on a stock exchange or commodity market

Other Word Forms

• butterflylike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of butterfly¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English boterflye, Old English buttorflēoge; equivalent to butter + fly ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of butterfly¹

Old English buttorflēoge ; the name perhaps is based on a belief that butterflies stole milk and butter

Example Sentences

Autochromes possess the light-dappled depth of Impressionist paintings, the powdery precision of pointillism, the honest blushes of butterfly cheeks, and the palpable textures of gleaming silks and gilded velvets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I see healthy green trees, colorful butterflies, and clean water rushing through the plant-covered soil.

Read more on Literature

They have undergone or are currently involved in successful reintroductions to the wild: Karner blue butterfly, red wolf, black-footed ferret, whooping crane, golden-lion tamarin.

Read more on Literature

As I swiveled on my diner stool, the butterflies started to grow.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Beyond cephalopods, xanthommatin is also found in insects within the arthropod group, contributing to the brilliant orange and yellow hues of monarch butterfly wings and the bright reds seen in dragonfly bodies and fly eyes.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• ant 
• aphid 
• bee 
• beetle 
• cockroach 
• dragonfly 
• flea 
• fruit fly 
• gnat 
• grasshopper 
• ladybug 
• mite 
• mosquito 
• moth 
• pest 
• spider 
• termite 
• tick