butterwort

noun

but·​ter·​wort ˈbə-tər-ˌwərt How to pronounce butterwort (audio)
-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
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The seemingly unconquerable fig butterwort (Ficaria verna) invades lowland valleys where seasonal floods carry little broken off bits downstream to sprout anywhere and everywhere. 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

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of butterwort was in 1597

Cite this Entry

“Butterwort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterwort. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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