fritillary

American  

[frit-l-er-ee] / ˈfrɪt lˌɛr i /

noun

fritillaries plural

1. any of several orange-brown nymphalid butterflies, usually marked with black lines and dots and with silvery spots on the undersides of the wings.

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fritillary British  

/ frɪˈtɪlərɪ /

noun

1. any N temperate liliaceous plant of the genus Fritillaria , having purple or white drooping bell-shaped flowers, typically marked in a chequered pattern See also snake's head

2. any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera Argynnis, Boloria , etc, having brownish wings chequered with black and silver

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• fritillaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fritillary

From New Latin, dating back to 1625–35; see origin at fritillaria

Example Sentences

The final section of amphibians, insects and fish, has: the Atlantic salmon, the basking shark, the buff-tailed bumblebee, the common frog, the Emperor dragonfly, and the marsh fritillary butterfly.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

The pearl-bordered fritillary, a striking orange-and-black butterfly whose caterpillars feed only on violets, has declined by 70%.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The bright-orange Gulf fritillary, for example, is thriving not on native plants but on flowers popular in home gardens, Forister said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2021

White talked about perhaps his greatest success: returning the rare marsh fritillary to Lincolnshire.

From The Guardian • Oct. 13, 2020

The day didn’t begin to look up until I caught a spotted fritillary butterfly.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly