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noun
1.
any of numerous diurnal insects of the order Lepidoptera, characterized by clubbed antennae, a slender body, and large, broad, often conspicuously marked wings.
2.
a person who flits aimlessly from one interest or group to another: a social butterfly.
3.
butterflies, (used with a plural verb) Informal. a queasy feeling, as from nervousness, excitement, etc.
4.
a racing breaststroke, using a dolphin kick, in which the swimmer brings both arms out of the water in forward, circular motions.
5.
EXPANDCarpentry. butterfly wedge.
6.
Sculpture. an X-shaped support attached to an armature.
7.
one of the swinging brackets of a butterfly table.
8.
COLLAPSEMovies. a screen of scrim, gauze, or similar material, for diffusing light.
verb (used with object)
9.
Cookery. to slit open and spread apart to resemble the spread wings of a butterfly.
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Butterfly
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
adjective Also, butterflied.
10.
Cookery. split open and spread apart to resemble a butterfly: butterfly shrimp; butterfly steak.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To butterfly
Collins
World English Dictionary
| butterfly (ˈbʌtəˌflaɪ) | |
| —n , pl -flies | |
| 1. | Compare moth any diurnal insect of the order Lepidoptera that has a slender body with clubbed antennae and typically rests with the wings (which are often brightly coloured) closed over the backRelated: lepidopteran |
| 2. | a person who never settles with one group, interest, or occupation for long |
| 3. | a swimming stroke in which the arms are plunged forward together in large circular movements |
| 4. | commerce the simultaneous purchase and sale of traded call options, at different exercise prices or with different expiry dates, on a stock exchange or commodity market |
| Related: lepidopteran | |
| [Old English buttorflēoge; the name perhaps is based on a belief that butterflies stole milk and butter] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
butterfly
O.E. buttorfleoge, perhaps based on the old notion that the insects (or witches disguised as butterflies) consume butter or milk that is left uncovered. Or, less creatively, simply because the pale yellow color of many species' wings suggests the color of butter. Another theory connects it to the color
EXPANDof the insect's excrement, based on Du. cognate boterschijte. A fascinating overview of words for "butterfly" in various languages can be found here. The swimming stroke so called from 1936. Butterflies "light stomach spasms caused by anxiety" is from 1908.
COLLAPSE
The butterfly effect is a deceptively simple insight extracted from a complex modern field. As a low-profile assistant professor in MIT's department of meteorology in 1961, [Edward] Lorenz created an early computer program to simulate weather. One day he changed one of a dozen numbers representing atmospheric conditions, from .506127 to .506. That tiny alteration utterly transformed his long-term forecast, a point Lorenz amplified in his 1972 paper, "Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly's Wings in Brazil Set Off a Tornado in Texas?" [Peter Dizikes, "The Meaning of the Butterfly," The Boston Globe, June 8, 2008]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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