pierid

American

[pahy-er-id, pahy-er-] / paɪˈɛr ɪd, ˈpaɪ ər- /

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the Pieridae, a family of butterflies comprising the whites, sulfurs, etc.

noun

Also called pieridine. any member of the butterfly family Pieridae.

Etymology

Origin of pierid

1880–85; < New Latin Pieridae, apparently by haplology from *Pierididae, equivalent to Pierid- , stem of Pieris a genus (< Greek Pīerís, singular of Pīerídes a name for the Muses; see Pierides) + -idae -id ²

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