fritillary

American  

[frit-l-er-ee] / ˈfrɪt lˌɛr i /

noun

plural

fritillaries

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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Etymology

Origin of fritillary

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

Example Sentences

The Species in Peril report warns others could face a similar fate, including the high brown fritillary butterfly and rainbow-coloured Snowdon leaf beetle, Arctic-Alpine pea mussel, woolly feather-moss and eyed chestnut wrinkle-lichen.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

Some varieties, such as the dark green fritillary did not have a single sighting in 2024.

From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025

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

According to Bourn, this species only endured here because volunteers picked up its caterpillars before meadows were mowed, and returned them after, and there was no prospect of the marsh fritillary spreading across the countryside.

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