monarch butterfly

[ mon-erk buht-er-flahy, mon-ahrk ]

noun
  1. a large, deep-orange butterfly, Danaus plexippus, having black and white markings, the larvae of which feed on the leaves of milkweed: highly valued as a pollinator, the monarch butterfly is currently not evaluated by the IUCN, but the protection of the species and its habitat is central to several conservation efforts.

Origin of monarch butterfly

1
First recorded in 1885–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use monarch butterfly in a sentence

  • I saw one exploring the disk of a sunflower, in company with a splendid monarch butterfly.

    Birds in the Bush | Bradford Torrey
  • The chrysalis (b) is suggestive of that of the monarch butterfly.

    Butterflies Worth Knowing | Clarence M. Weed
  • Both the larv and adults of the monarch butterfly are distasteful to birds, by their possession of an acrid body-fluid.

  • For a full account of the life-history of the monarch butterfly, see "Scudder's Life of a Butterfly."

  • She knew where the monarch butterfly went on his winter migration.

    Her Father's Daughter | Gene Stratton-Porter