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.

Gareth Tilley discovered a population of one of the UK's most elusive butterflies, the black hairstreak, which had never before been recorded in the county.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

White-letter hairstreak butterflies are hard to spot, as they fly around the tops of tall elm trees.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Orange tip numbers are up more than 40% since 1976, and Black hairstreak - one of the UK's rarest butterflies - is recovering thanks to conservation work.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

For the brown hairstreak, both charities rely on volunteers going out in the middle of winter to look for tiny, pinhead-sized eggs on twigs using magnifying glasses.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2025

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 • Jun. 29, 2018

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