butterfly
A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring.
Other meanings
A use of surgical tape, cut into thin strips and placed across an open wound to hold it closed.
The butterfly stroke.
Related words
- butterfly bush
- butterfly collector
- butterfly nut
Example sentences
Word history
From Old English "buterflēoge".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “butterfly” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.