butterfly
Americannoun
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any of numerous diurnal insects of the order Lepidoptera, characterized by clubbed antennae, a slender body, and large, broad, often conspicuously marked wings.
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a person who flits aimlessly from one interest or group to another.
a social butterfly.
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(used with a plural verb) butterflies, a queasy feeling, as from nervousness, excitement, etc.
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a racing breaststroke, using a dolphin kick, in which the swimmer brings both arms out of the water in forward, circular motions.
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Carpentry. butterfly wedge.
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Sculpture. an X -shaped support attached to an armature.
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one of the swinging brackets of a butterfly table.
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Movies. a screen of scrim, gauze, or similar material, for diffusing light.
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
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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
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a person who never settles with one group, interest, or occupation for long
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a swimming stroke in which the arms are plunged forward together in large circular movements
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of butterfly
First recorded before 1000; Middle English boterflye, Old English buttorflēoge; equivalent to butter + fly 1
Explanation
A butterfly is a flying insect with a small body and large, often colorful wings. Some gardeners plant specific flowers that attract butterflies. Butterflies are closely related to moths, which also have wings that are large in proportion to their bodies and antennae. A butterfly is distinctive because of its relatively large size and lovely, patterned wings. After hatching, they start as caterpillars, and eventually build a chrysalis, inside of which they transform into — and emerge as — a butterfly. The origin of butterfly isn't certain, though it may come from some butterflies' pale yellow color.
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.
See Examples For:
During each solar cycle, sunspots form a "butterfly pattern."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
A butterfly charity says the UK could be set for a "bumper" year of the insects as it launches its annual appeal for the public to count them.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
A survey of the Blean will focus on six endangered species that are found there, including the the heath fritillary butterfly, one of the UK's rarest, and the turtle dove.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
According to a report from the Center for Biological Diversity, the El Segundo blue butterfly lost 90% of its oceanside habitat due to the construction of LAX and beachfront housing developments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
He zoomed in as close as he could on each butterfly without making everything go blurry.
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The council says the BCP area is home to several important butterfly habitats, including Canford Heath, where rare Silver-studded Blue butterflies can be found, and Bourne Valley, which supports species such as the Large Skipper.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Britain could be on the brink of a "bumper summer of butterflies", an expert has said.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
"We don't know yet what the summer holds for our butterflies, that's why we need people to go out and take part in the count."
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
On Friday, it launched its Big Butterfly Count, a yearly event asking members of the public to report the butterflies they see.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
I dusted the powdery corpses of half a dozen dead butterflies off a cement bench and lay down on the quad under the moonlight for a while, contemplating my sisters and our rebelliousness.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
My favorite part of this recipe is that it stretches your dollar by using an entire, butterflied chicken instead of individual breasts or thighs.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2023
My wife loved the bronzino, served whole, deboned and butterflied.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2022
The butterflied grilled perch recipe is inspired by the chef Sergio Peñuelas, from Nayarit, in Mexico, and his pescado zarandeado.
From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2022
His Lincoln Logs is a butterflied frank layered with cream cheese, a version that sort of splits the difference between the classic sandwich and a Seattle dog.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 1, 2021
He was just sitting on the track with his feet pressed together, his long legs butterflied.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
“I came back to butterflying out of the blue - a childhood passion rekindled nine years ago at a butterfly gathering in the Blue Mountains.”
From Washington Times ● Jul. 24, 2016
Unlike the pursuit of birding, butterflying takes place at a civilized hour because butterflies don’t come out until the day warms to at least 60 degrees.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 9, 2016
Jazmin starts by butterflying a chicken thigh with a deft stroke of her knife.
From Salon ● May 21, 2012
He came butterflying and frog-kicking down the final lap of the 220-yard breaststroke race to win.
From Time Magazine Archive
And Camy, I doubt very much whether I'd care for butterflying.
From The Royal Book of Oz In which the Scarecrow goes to search for his family tree and discovers that he is the Long Lost Emperor of the Silver Island by Thompson, Ruth Plumly
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.
