butterwort
noun
but·ter·wort
ˈbə-tər-ˌwərt 
-ˌwȯrt
: any of a genus (Pinguicula) of herbs of the bladderwort family with fleshy leaves that produce a viscid secretion serving to capture and digest insects
Examples of butterwort in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The seemingly unconquerable fig butterwort (Ficaria verna) invades lowland valleys where seasonal floods carry little broken off bits downstream to sprout anywhere and everywhere.
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Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
The peat is fed by a decaying layer of sphagnum moss, sundew, and butterwort, which deepens a millimeter a year.
—Aaron Hicklin, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024
The discovery of these new species triples the number of butterwort species recorded in Ecuador and the team believes that there are more new species awaiting formal scientific recognition, but finding them has been a race against time.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2023
But in a departure from many other carnivorous plants, the butterwort’s method of trapping prey is more passive than some other carnivorous plants.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2021
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Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
The peat is fed by a decaying layer of sphagnum moss, sundew, and butterwort, which deepens a millimeter a year.
—Aaron Hicklin, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024
The discovery of these new species triples the number of butterwort species recorded in Ecuador and the team believes that there are more new species awaiting formal scientific recognition, but finding them has been a race against time.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2023
But in a departure from many other carnivorous plants, the butterwort’s method of trapping prey is more passive than some other carnivorous plants.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Butterwort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterwort. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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