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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

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See Examples For:

hairstreak

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

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

The white-letter hairstreak – whose caterpillars glow under ultraviolet light – has fallen by 80% since the scheme began.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026

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

He's now planting elm hedges to support the elusive white-letter hairstreak butterfly.

From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2017

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