fritillary
Americannoun
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fritillaries
plural
noun
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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
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any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera Argynnis, Boloria , etc, having brownish wings chequered with black and silver
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fritillary
From New Latin, dating back to 1625–35; see origin at fritillaria
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:
They shimmer from the pages like bright bits of stained glass, and their names are equally enchanting: common blue, painted lady, Queen of Spain fritillary, black-veined white and northern brown argus, among others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
“Should I just leave now?” she asks herself after spotting a heath fritillary in Vendsyssel in northern Denmark.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 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
Tom Prescott, BCS senior conservation officer, said the work which had been done was paying off for the pearl-bordered fritillary.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2021
The day didn’t begin to look up until I caught a spotted fritillary butterfly.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Larger — and faster — than the blues are the bright black-and-orange fritillaries.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
I’ve given up on fritillaries, which are, in my experience, one-shot wonders in hot, humid regions.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 20, 2020
They include blues, whites, sulphurs, coppers, fritillaries, wood nymphs, skippers, crescents and checkerspots.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 24, 2016
"Woodland butterflies, fritillaries in particular, are associated with gaps or temporary hotspots within the woods."
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2012
Market-gardening, especially horticulture, is extensively practised in the vicinity, so that Haarlem is the seat of a large trade in Dutch bulbs, especially hyacinths, tulips, fritillaries, spiraeas and japonicas.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various
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.
