butterfly

play

noun, often attributive but·ter·fly \ -ˌflī \

Definition of butterfly

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

See butterfly defined for English-language learners

See butterfly defined for kids

Examples of butterfly in a Sentence

They competed in the butterfly.

Recent Examples of butterfly from the Web

But the best moment of Copenhagen Fashion Week was when Saks Potts, normally the purveyors of outrageous furs, used butterfly clips in their show.

— sarah spellings, The Cut, "Only in Scandinavia Would a Fashion Week Be Hygge," 11 Aug. 2017
Where the two meet, a butterfly valve is capable of draining the entire thirty gallons within several thousandths of a second.

— brantley hargrove, Popular Mechanics, "How to Stop the Wind," 3 Aug. 2017
The butterflies are threatened because the sole food source, milkweed, is less available.

— kelly mcbride, Cincinnati.com, "Rush to relocate wildflowers stalls as bulldozers clear field," 28 July 2017
Pony rides, petting farm, tour of farm and butterfly garden from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekends at The Little Farm, 13401 SW 224 St., Goulds.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "Best fun for kids this weekend: YMCA water days, Florida Supercon," 26 July 2017
In a sea of suits and blazers, Henderson can be spotted wearing T-shirts with sassy slogans, glittery makeup and winged, butterfly eyelashes.

— kansascity, "KC triple threat Brie Henderson gears up for a not-so-crappy Fringe Fest," 19 July 2017
Another photograph by artist Kristen Hatgi is called Alina With Butterfly — a black-and-white portrait of a woman who cups a butterfly in her palms.

— chloe fein, The Cut, "See Striking Portraits of Summer Nostalgia," 18 July 2017
A heroine who sprouts wings and flies in a Technicolor flock of butterflies.

— janelle gelfand, Cincinnati.com, "'The Magic Flute' a surreal visual extravaganza," 16 July 2017
Artist demonstrations, educational programming, plant sale, performances, music, hands-on art activities for adults and children, bubble field, fairy gardens and the butterfly release.

— taylor m. riley, The Courier-Journal, "This is what you should do on your lazy Sunday in Louisville," 15 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'butterfly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of butterfly

before 12th century

butterfly

verb

Definition of butterfly

butterflied; butterflying

transitive verb

:to split almost entirely and spread apart

a butterflied steak

butterflied shrimp

See butterfly defined for English-language learners

Examples of butterfly in a Sentence

Butterfly the chicken before roasting.

Recent Examples of butterfly from the Web

Spatchcocked chicken with fig glaze Serves 4 Also known as butterflying the bird, spatchcocking involves removing the chicken’s backbone with a pair of kitchen shears, and then flattening it before sliding it onto a hot grill.

— sacbee, sacbee.com, "It’s prime time for grilling – try these recipes," 13 June 2017
Spatchcocked chicken with fig glaze Serves 4 Also known as butterflying the bird, spatchcocking involves removing the chicken’s backbone with a pair of kitchen shears, and then flattening it before sliding it onto a hot grill.

— sacbee, "It’s prime time for grilling – try these recipes," 13 June 2017
Slice pork tenderloin lengthwise to butterfly it, but don’t quite slice all the way through: The 2 pieces should remain attached.

— melissa clark, charlotteobserver, "Keep the tender in your pork tenderloin," 6 June 2017

First Known Use of butterfly

1947

BUTTERFLY Defined for English Language Learners

butterfly

play

noun

Definition of butterfly for English Language Learners

: a kind of insect that has a long thin body and brightly colored wings and that flies mostly during the day
: a person who goes to many parties and other social events
: a way of swimming in which the swimmer's face is in the water and the arms move together in a circular motion while the legs kick up and down; also : a race in which the swimmers do the butterfly

butterfly

verb

Definition of butterfly for English Language Learners

: to cut (food) into two pieces that are joined along one edge so that it can be spread apart for cooking

BUTTERFLY Defined for Kids

butterfly

play

noun but·ter·fly \ ˈbə-tər-ˌflī \

Definition of butterfly for Students

plural butterflies

:an insect that has a slender body and large colored wings covered with tiny overlapping scales and that flies mostly in the daytime

Medical Dictionary

butterfly

play

noun but·ter·fly \ -ˌflī \

medical Definition of butterfly

plural butterflies

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

2 :butterfly bandage

butterfly

adjective

medical Definition of butterfly

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

the typical butterfly lesion of lupus erythematosus

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See words that rhyme with butterfly Spanish Central: Translation of butterfly Nglish: Translation of butterfly for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of butterfly for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about butterfly

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Examples of butterfly in a Sentence

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First Known Use of butterfly

butterfly

Definition of butterfly

Examples of butterfly in a Sentence

Recent Examples of butterfly from the Web

First Known Use of butterfly

BUTTERFLY Defined for English Language Learners

butterfly

Definition of butterfly for English Language Learners

butterfly

Definition of butterfly for English Language Learners

BUTTERFLY Defined for Kids

butterfly

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Medical Dictionary

butterfly

medical Definition of butterfly

butterfly

medical Definition of butterfly

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