hairstreak

American

[hair-streek] / ˈhɛərˌstrik /

noun

any small, dark butterfly of the family Lycaenidae, subfamily Theclinae, having hairlike tails on the hindwings.

hairstreak British

/ ˈhɛəˌstriːk /

noun

any small butterfly of the genus Callophrys and related genera, having fringed wings marked with narrow white streaks: family Lycaenidae

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hairstreak

First recorded in 1810–20; hair + streak

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.

They were looking for caterpillars of the UK's five species of hairstreak butterfly.

From BBC

The spokesperson said the Sheffield tree was "fortunately resistant" to the disease and was also home to the white-letter hairstreak butterfly, which had saved it from the chop during Sheffield City Council's felling programme.

From BBC

The white-letter hairstreak’s northward journey is thought to be a response to the warming climate.

From Salon

In Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man similar measures are in place to protect species, including the dingy skipper and the purple hairstreak.

From BBC

Thought to be about 120 years old, that elm has won a stay of execution, but only because it is home to a rare species of butterfly, the white-letter hairstreak.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023