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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
verbDefinition of butterfly (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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
Almost 40 years later, Olympic gold medalist David Wilson’s fondest memory of his days as an Anderson High School swimmer is breaking Mark Spitz’s national high school record in the 100-yard butterfly. — Mark Schmetzer, Cincinnati.com, "Glory Days: Anderson swimmer Wilson won Olympic medals, set national and state records," 13 June 2018 Kyle, a sophomore, placed seventh in the 100 butterfly (55.49), and Song, a freshman, came in ninth by winning the consolation final (55.45). — Sam Brief, chicagotribune.com, "College notes: Stevenson, Loyola alums help Emory win D-III swim title," 30 Mar. 2018 Sweeney was eighth in the 200 free and eighth in the 100 butterfly, while O'Brien was sixth in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 backstroke. — Johnny Gorches, Post-Tribune, "Hobart's Jon Foddrill named the 2017-18 Post-Tribune Girls Swimming Coach of the Year," 13 Mar. 2018 Other event winners included Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Adam Orringer-Hau in the 200 free (1:38.66), Brother Rice’s Alex Margherio in the butterfly (48.43) and West Ottawa’s Derek Maas in the backstroke (50.23). — Wright Wilson, Detroit Free Press, "Swimming: Ann Arbor Skyline joins Div. 1 elite with first state title," 10 Mar. 2018 Sophomore Eric Wang led the team individually with a championship time of 1:55.52 in the individual medley and a bronze medal in the butterfly. — Jack Marrion, Houston Chronicle, "St. John's, Kinkaid lead Houston SPC winter sweep," 23 Feb. 2018 Cyclists should slow down to see the scenery and smell the flowers of the butterfly gardens along the trail. — Katie Parsons, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Central Florida a premiere spot for triathlon training," 18 May 2018 Growers affix brown packets of pheromones or specialized attractants to the wires for when a certain butterfly shows up to lay eggs on the grape vines. — Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, "The Hoosier Gardener: Trip to Bordeaux wine country is an educational experience," 13 July 2018 Amidst the heaviness the Atlanta band occasionally left some space for Andy Hull’s fragile falsetto to soar, like a butterfly fluttering through a war zone. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Review: Arcade Fire burns hot enough to consume a few flaws at Summerfest," 9 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
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 2017These 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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Dictionary Entries near butterfly
Statistics for butterfly
Last Updated
6 Nov 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for butterfly
The first known use of butterfly was before the 12th century
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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
: 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
verbEnglish 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
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Kids Definition of butterfly
: an insect that has a slender body and large colored wings covered with tiny overlapping scales and that flies mostly in the daytime
butterfly
noun
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Medical Definition of butterfly
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 plural : a feeling of hollowness or queasiness caused especially by emotional or nervous tension or anxious anticipation
butterfly
adjectiveMedical Definition of butterfly (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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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