fritillary

noun

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frit·il·lary | \ ˈfri-tə-ˌler-ē

plural fritillaries

Definition of fritillary

1 : fritillaria

2 : any of numerous nymphalid butterflies (Argynnis, Speyeria, and related genera) that usually are orange with black spots on the upper side of both wings and silver spotted on the underside of the hind wing

Examples of fritillary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The fritillary is similar and as striking as the monarch, which will arrive by the thousands to Crow-Hassan at the end of August to feed on the spiky blazing stars — also intentionally planted for them. — Bob Timmons, Star Tribune, "Crow-Hassan's prairie is a mosaic of wild things and built to last," 31 July 2020 Specifically, BBC News mentions that the openings created by bison could allow plants such as cow wheat to grow, adding that a rare butterfly called the heath fritillary depends on the plant. — Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, "Wild Bison to Roam Britain for First Time in Thousands of Years," 15 July 2020 Andrew Fusek Peters spent two hours in the Shropshire hills to capture the images, one of which shows the exact moment a fritillary leaves a thistle at the Brook Vessons nature reserve. — Fox News, "Photographer captures remarkable images of endangered butterfly flying off flower," 30 June 2020 Gulf fritillaries do their breeding on passion vine. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "Calvin Finch: How to attract butterflies to your San Antonio garden all year long," 21 May 2020 Some caterpillars such as the Gulf fritillary should be encouraged. — Howard Garrett, Dallas News, "How to tackle pests in your veggie garden or fruit plantings," 11 May 2020 Silvery Persian fritillaries dangle their bell shapes over others. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "We can't visit Newfields right now. Here's a photo tour of its blooming, flowery gardens.," 27 Apr. 2020 Two endangered lilies — Green’s mariposa and Gentner’s fritillary — bloom purple and red each spring. — Stephen Nash, New York Times, "At Three National Monuments, Quiet Trails and Questions About the Future," 6 Dec. 2017 In the Gulf fritillary, some silver spots disappear, and in the monarch, white scales emerge amid the usual tiger colors. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "Scientists Can Now Repaint Butterfly Wings," 18 Sep. 2017

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