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)
: 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
Getting butterflies just thinking about it: Ohio is becoming a friendlier place for monarch butterflies, whose population has declined 90 percent in the eastern U.S. over the last two decades. — cleveland.com, "Ohio investigates possible vaping-related illnesses: Capitol Letter," 26 Aug. 2019 Since 2014, the Elwha’s delta has grown by at least 100 acres and pushed out into the strait more than 300 feet, creating new space for birds, butterflies, willow, alder, yellow-tongued monkeyflower, and lavender searocket. — Starre Vartan, National Geographic, "Beavers on the coast are helping salmon bounce back. Here’s how.," 13 Aug. 2019 The wonderful flowers are a magnet for butterflies, bees, wasps and other nectar-feeding pollinators. — Howard Garrett, Dallas News, "These two easy-to-grow perennials will attract tons of beneficial insects in your Texas garden," 6 Aug. 2019 August Meeting of the Garden Club of Lake Zurich: Come and learn about the plants that offer the favorite foods of our common birds or butterflies. — chicagotribune.com, "Calendar: Learn about beekeeping Tuesday in Lake Forest," 4 Aug. 2019 The nonprofit is devoted to this genus of plants that are an important food source for butterflies. — Doreen Christensen, sun-sentinel.com, "July 4th: Half price admission to Butterfly World for military and vets on Thursday," 1 July 2019 The entrance to the trails is a walk along a grassy path that parallels a hay field teeming with birds and butterflies. — Peter Marteka, courant.com, "Hiking a ‘perfect place’ at North Branford’s Harrison Farm Preserve," 28 June 2019 Neither of those were true for the butterflies obtained from commercial suppliers. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Declining monarch-butterfly populations may be hard to restore," 25 June 2019 The free program will feature Diane Russell of the Coastal Prairie Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist, talking about creating a garden as a place of beauty as well as a restaurant and nursery for butterflies and pollinators. — Houston Chronicle, "Katy-area calendar of events," 16 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
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 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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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
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
but·ter·fly
| \ ˈbə-tər-ˌflī
\
\
plural butterflies
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
but·ter·fly
| \ -ˌflī
\
\
plural butterflies
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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