I. ˈbəd.ə(r)ˌflī, -ətə- noun
Etymology: Middle English butterflie, from Old English buterflēoge, from butere butter + flēoge fly, perhaps from the belief that butterflies or witches in the shape of butterflies stole milk and butter — more at butter , fly
1. : any of certain slender-bodied diurnal insects forming the division Rhopalocera of the order Lepidoptera that have very large broad wings which are often strikingly colored and patterned and are usually held vertically over the back or expanded when at rest and slender usually somewhat club-shaped antennae sometimes hooked near the ends — distinguished from moth
2.
a. : a person who dresses gaudily or extravagantly
b. : a person chiefly occupied with the pursuit of pleasure
a social butterfly
3. : something resembling a butterfly in shape or motion: as
a. : butterfly valve
b. : an auxiliary support like a cross attached to a sculptor's armature
c. : a roof distinguished by a pitch that rises to the eaves leaving a valley
d. slang : a usually weighted note thrown from a moving train
e. : a gauze-covered frame for diffusing light in motion-picture photography
f. : a marking in butterfly shape on an animal
g.
(1) also butterfly breaststroke : a swimming stroke not now used in competition that is executed in a prone position with both arms extended and moving simultaneously in a circular motion and being out of the water during the recovery half of the cycle, the kick consisting of one breaststroke kick to each arm cycle
(2) also butterfly dolphin : a competitive swimming stroke with this same arm motion but with a kick consisting of a simultaneous up-and-down action of the feet, two kicks being executed to each complete arm cycle — called also dolphin, dolphin butterfly, dolphin fishtail
4. butterflies plural : a feeling of hollowness or queasiness especially caused by emotional or nervous tension or anxious anticipation
the paratrooper got butterflies in his stomach before the jump
5. : a rope spinning stunt in which a loop is spun vertically and moved in front of the body from left to right without interruption
II. adjective
: resembling a butterfly:
a. : cut or shaped to resemble the outlines of a butterfly
butterfly collar
b. in cookery : resembling a butterfly in form by being partially split and spread apart
a butterfly steak
butterfly fillet
c. of a dog's nose : parti-colored
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
: to split almost entirely and spread apart in such a way as to resemble the spread wings of a butterfly
a butterflied steak