/pap"euh lon'/ ; Fr. /pann pee yawonn"/ , n. , pl. papillons /-lon'/ ; Fr. /-yawonn"/ .
one of a breed of toy spaniels having a long, silky coat and large, erect ears held so that they resemble the wings of a butterfly.
[ 1905-10; papilion- (s. of papilio ) ]