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butterfly
[ buht-er-flahy ]
/ ˈbʌt ərˌflaɪ /
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noun, plural but·ter·flies.
verb (used with object), but·ter·flied, but·ter·fly·ing.
Cooking. to slit open and spread apart to resemble the spread wings of a butterfly.
adjective Also butterflied.
Cooking. split open and spread apart to resemble a butterfly: butterfly shrimp; butterfly steak.
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Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
OTHER WORDS FROM butterfly
but·ter·fly·like, adjective, adverbWords nearby butterfly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use butterfly in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for butterfly
butterfly
/ (ˈbʌtəˌflaɪ) /
noun plural -flies
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 backCompare 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
Word Origin for butterfly
Old English buttorflēoge; the name perhaps is based on a belief that butterflies stole milk and butter
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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