butterfly
any of numerous diurnal insects of the order Lepidoptera, characterized by clubbed antennae, a slender body, and large, broad, often conspicuously marked wings.
a person who flits aimlessly from one interest or group to another: a social butterfly.
butterflies, (used with a plural verb)Informal. a queasy feeling, as from nervousness, excitement, etc.
a racing breaststroke, using a dolphin kick, in which the swimmer brings both arms out of the water in forward, circular motions.
Carpentry. butterfly wedge.
Sculpture. an X-shaped support attached to an armature.
one of the swinging brackets of a butterfly table.
Movies. a screen of scrim, gauze, or similar material, for diffusing light.
Cooking. to slit open and spread apart to resemble the spread wings of a butterfly.
Cooking. split open and spread apart to resemble a butterfly: butterfly shrimp; butterfly steak.
Origin of butterfly
1Other words from butterfly
- but·ter·fly·like, adjective, adverb
Words Nearby butterfly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use butterfly in a sentence
South Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve is as good a spot to see the butterflies as any.
It’s not all honey and butterflies in our relationship with insects.
We Crush, Poison, and Destroy Insects at Our Own Peril - Issue 95: Escape | John Hainze | January 20, 2021 | NautilusSomeone who likes their alone time might not have a brain response that is as strong as someone who is a social butterfly.
Loneliness makes our brains crave people | Bethany Brookshire | January 8, 2021 | Science News For StudentsThis technology was demonstrated in artistic replicas of dancing butterflies, fluttering leaves, and blooming flowers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
Why ‘soft robots’ have NASA, doctors, and tech whizzes so excited | jakemeth | January 1, 2021 | FortuneScientists have observed insects — especially butterflies, bees and flies — crawling into the eyes of animals.
“When you become a peshmerga your life becomes like a butterfly,” she said.
Embedding With the Women Who Are Kicking ISIS Ass | Susannah George | December 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSo, to commemorate her 75th birthday, the two got matching butterfly tattoos on their wrists.
Masters of Alt Sex: SuicideGirls Hits Puberty and Wants to Invade Your TV Set | Marlow Stern | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis video remedies that injustice, showcasing an owl doing a butterfly stroke in Lake Michigan.
Swimming Owls, Jane Krakowski’s Peter Pan Live! Audition, and More Viral Videos | The Daily Beast Video | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA small wooden cabinet with two butterfly doors held ropes and chains, candles, and sex toys.
The labels included a picture of a butterfly on a blade of grass.
She became my sweetheart, temporarily; but a born butterfly, she soon fluttered away, leaving me disconsolate—for a time!
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph TatlowOut by the hill, a butterfly, snow white, rested a moment on the young girl's hair.
The Dragon Painter | Mary McNeil FenollosaIn Leeming-street it was in the chrysalis state; in Fishergate the butterfly epoch has been reached.
Our Churches and Chapels | AtticusA filmy and diaphanous creature was Mrs. Patton also—one could never have dreamed of so exquisite a black butterfly.
Love's Pilgrimage | Upton SinclairI hate to think that he may become a social butterfly on account of his title, but a stanza from Calverly haunts my memory.
The Red Cow and Her Friends | Peter McArthur
British Dictionary definitions for butterfly
/ (ˈbʌtəˌflaɪ) /
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 Related adjective: lepidopteran
a person who never settles with one group, interest, or occupation for long
a swimming stroke in which the arms are plunged forward together in large circular movements
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
Origin of butterfly
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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