butterfly

1 of 2

noun

but·​ter·​fly ˈbə-tər-ˌflī 

often attributive

1

: any of numerous slender-bodied diurnal lepidopteran insects including one superfamily (Papilionoidea) with broad often brightly colored wings and usually another superfamily comprising the skippers

2

: something that resembles or suggests a butterfly

especially : a person chiefly occupied with the pursuit of pleasure

3

: a swimming stroke executed in a prone position by moving both arms in a circular motion while kicking both legs up and down

4

butterflies plural : a feeling of hollowness or queasiness caused especially by emotional or nervous tension or anxious anticipation

5

: a defensive move by a goalie in ice hockey executed by dropping to the knees while spreading the lower legs outward

butterfly

2 of 2

verb

butterflied; butterflying

transitive verb

: to split almost entirely and spread apart

a butterflied steak

butterflied shrimp

Synonyms

Noun

• nerves
• shivers

Examples of butterfly in a Sentence

Noun

They competed in the butterfly.

Verb

Butterfly the chicken before roasting.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Both are social butterflies with short attention spans, forever on the hunt for adventure and stimulation. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025

Throughout the film, del Toro flits and hovers between contradictory ideas, with the restlessness of the beautiful butterflies that Elizabeth, an amateur entomologist, likes to study. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025

Verb

My mother, Viola Bloomer — pinochle enthusiast and pilot — drew a great breath and dove after her son, legs butterflying up into a neat pike. —Charna Flam, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025

Zilpha bought a bird book as well as other books to put names to butterfly and moth, tree and fern. —Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1952, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing butterfly

• butterfly bush
• butterfly chair
• butterfly effect
• butterfly fish
• butterfly kiss
• butterfly valve
• butterfly weed
• cabbage butterfly
• leaf butterfly
• milkweed butterfly
• monarch butterfly
• sulphur butterfly
• tortoiseshell butterfly
• viceroy butterfly

Rhymes for butterfly

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• calculi
• certify
• clarify

Kids Definition

butterfly

noun

but·​ter·​fly

-ˌflī

1

: any of numerous slender-bodied day-flying insects with large often brightly colored wings compare moth

2

: a swimming stroke performed by moving both arms together in a circular motion while kicking the legs up and down

3

plural : a queasy feeling caused by nervousness

Medical Definition

butterfly

1 of 2 noun

but·​ter·​fly -ˌflī 

plural butterflies

1

plural : a feeling of hollowness or queasiness caused especially by emotional or nervous tension or anxious anticipation

2

: butterfly bandage

butterfly

2 of 2 adjective

: affecting the part of the face including the cheeks and the bridge of the nose

the typical butterfly lesion of lupus erythematosus