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papillon

American  
[pap-uh-lon, pa-pee-yawn] / ˈpæp əˌlɒn, pa piˈyɔ̃ /

noun

plural

papillons

  1. one of a breed of toy spaniels having a long, silky coat and large, erect ears held so that they resemble the wings of a butterfly.

papillon British  
/ ˈpæpɪˌlɒn /

noun

  1. a breed of toy spaniel with large ears

"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 papillon

1905–10; < French: butterfly < Latin pāpiliōn- (stem of pāpiliō )

Vocabulary lists containing papillon

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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.

Kiba, her 3.5-pound papillon with a purple Mohawk, pulled 556 pounds on rails.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

The five puppies — Labrador and golden retrievers, and a papillon among them — bounded through the airport, earning more than a few quizzical glances from airline passengers.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2023

The Tibetan spaniel papillon mix was photographed on Instagram wearing a bow tie, with a caption that read: “My mommies are MARRIED!!!! Married?…… yes…. married!!!”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2023

When Morrill’s family got another papillon, Rosie, a year later, she was entirely different: bold, outgoing, and adoring of all people.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 27, 2022

N'est-ce donc rien que le parfum de la rose, la voix du rossignol et l'aile du papillon?

From Masters of French Music by Hervey, Arthur

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.