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butterfly flower

American  
[buht-er-flahy flou-er] / ˈbʌt ərˌflaɪ ˌflaʊ ər /

noun

  1. Also called Jerusalem date.  a shrub or small tree, Bauhinia monandra, of French Guiana, having clusters of pink, purple-streaked flowers.

  2. schizanthus.

Etymology

Origin of butterfly flower

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Surely here is a butterfly flower if ever there was one, and such are rare.

From Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors by Blanchan, Neltje

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.