butterfly

noun, often attributive

but·ter·fly | \ ˈbə-tər-ˌflī

Definition of butterfly

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

verb

butterflied; butterflying

Definition of butterfly (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to split almost entirely and spread apart a butterflied steak butterflied shrimp

Examples of butterfly in a Sentence

Noun They competed in the butterfly. Verb Butterfly the chicken before roasting.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In some cases, strong coloration is used by some species of butterflies to defer predators. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, "The World’s Most Interesting Insects," 29 Apr. 2020 Remember the primary reason for the milkweed to be in your garden is to serve the needs of the butterflies. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "Calvin Finch: The insect pests invading San Antonio gardens and how to stop them," 2 Apr. 2020 Rosenqvist went to bed Friday with a small dose of butterflies – the nerves ahead of the prospect of a win of any kind catching the 28-yaer-old Chip Ganassi Racing driver by surprise. — Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star, "Sage Karam drives away from field in IndyCar's first iRacing Challenge event from pole," 28 Mar. 2020 One day last summer, Jake Fiennes was lost in a cloud of butterflies. — Sam Knight, The New Yorker, "Can Farming Make Space for Nature?," 10 Feb. 2020 There’s nothing quite like the honeymoon phase of a new relationship, when feelings of butterflies are omnipresent whenever your person is by your side. — Rachel Besser, Vogue, "13 Sweet But Practical Valentine’s Day Gifts for Your Special Someone," 31 Jan. 2020 Creating a Pollinator Garden A pollinator garden is a garden that is planted predominately with flowers that provide nectar or pollen for a range of pollinating insects (bees, butterflies, etc.). — Trace Barnett, al, "Expert tips for creating a pollinator garden at home," 28 Apr. 2020 In his only individual title, Khouzam broke another state mark with a 47.01 in the 100-yard butterfly. — Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati.com, "Announcing the 2019-20 Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky High School Winter All-Stars," 22 Apr. 2020 Katie Drabot took the bronze medal in the 200-meter butterfly Saturday at the FINA World Championships in South Korea. — Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This former Cedarburg star took bronze at the World Swimming Championships in South Korea," 29 July 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb How to butterfly a steak Lay the flank steak flat on a cutting board. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Beef and Asparagus Negimaki," 10 Apr. 2020 To butterfly a large chicken breast half, put it on a cutting board with the thickest portion facing your sharp knife. — Jeanmarie Brownson, chicagotribune.com, "Weeknight chicken challenge met with a hot griddle and fast recipes," 11 Sep. 2019 Learn how to handle raw chicken with this step-by-step guide to butterflying boneless, skinless, chicken breast. — Country Living, "How To Butterfly Chicken Video," 21 Sep. 2010 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 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 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

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.

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Last Updated

21 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Butterfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterfly. Accessed 3 Jun. 2020.

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More Definitions for butterfly

butterfly

noun

English Language Learners Definition of butterfly

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a kind of insect that has a long thin body and brightly colored wings and that flies mostly during the day

often disapproving : 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

English Language Learners Definition of butterfly (Entry 2 of 2)

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

See the full definition for butterfly in the English Language Learners Dictionary

butterfly

noun

but·ter·fly | \ ˈbə-tər-ˌflī

plural butterflies