Dictionary
1butterfly
noun, but·ter·fly often attributive \-ˌflī\
: a kind of insect that has a long thin body and brightly colored wings and that flies mostly during the day
: a person who goes to many parties and other social events
: a way of swimming in which the swimmer's face is in the water and the arms move together in a circular motion while the legs kick up and down; also : a race in which the swimmers do the butterfly
Full Definition of BUTTERFLY
1
: any of numerous slender-bodied diurnal lepidopteran insects including one superfamily (Papilionoidea) with broad often brightly colored wings and usually another superfamily comprising the skippers
2
: something that resembles or suggests a butterfly; especially : a person chiefly occupied with the pursuit of pleasure
3
: a swimming stroke executed in a prone position by moving both arms in a circular motion while kicking both legs up and down
4
plural : a feeling of hollowness or queasiness caused especially by emotional or nervous tension or anxious anticipation
5
: a defensive move by a goalie in ice hockey executed by dropping to the knees while spreading the lower legs outward
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First Known Use of BUTTERFLY
before 12th century
Rhymes with BUTTERFLY
abide by, Adonai, alibi, alkali, amplify, apple-pie, argufy, assegai, azo dye, basify, beautify, by-and-by, caddis fly, calcify, certify, Chou En-lai, citify, clarify, classify, coalify, cockneyfy, codify, college try, cottage pie, crucify, cut-and-try, cutie-pie, DIY, damnify, damselfly, dandify, deify, densify, dignify, dobsonfly, do-or-die, dragonfly, dulcify, eagle eye, edify, evil eye, falsify, fancify, fortify, frenchify, fructify, gasify, Gemini, gentrify, glorify, goggle-eye, goldeneye, gratify, Haggai, harvest fly, hexerei, high and dry, hip and thigh, Hokusai, hook and eye, horrify, hoverfly, humble pie, Iceni, justify, kiss good-bye, lazy eye, lignify, liquefy, lithify, Lorelei, lullaby, Madurai, magnify, Malachi, Maracay, minify, modify, mollify, Molokai, Mordecai, mortify, multi-ply, multiply, mummify, mystify, nazify, notify, nullify, occupy, old school tie, on standby, on the fly, ossify, overbuy, overfly, overlie, pacify, Paraguay, passerby, peccavi, petrify, PPI, preachify, prettify, private eye, prophesy, purify, putrefy, qualify, quantify, ramify, rarefy, ratify, RBI, rectify, reify, res gestae, robber fly, runner's high, Russify, samurai, sanctify, satisfy, scarify, schwarmerei, semidry, set store by, shepherd's pie, shoofly pie, signify, simplify, Spanish fly, specify, speechify, stratify, stultify, stupefy, sweetie pie, Tenebrae, terrify, testify, tie-and-dye, tigereye, Trans Alai, tumble dry, typify, uglify, underlie, unify, Uruguay, Veneti, verify, versify, vilify, vinify, vitrify, vivify, weather eye, Windsor tie, xanthene dye, yuppify, zombify
2butterfly
verb
: to cut (food) into two pieces that are joined along one edge so that it can be spread apart for cooking
butterfliedbutterfly·ing
Full Definition of BUTTERFLY
transitive verb
: to split almost entirely and spread apart <a butterflied steak> <butterflied shrimp>
See butterfly defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of BUTTERFLY
1954
BUTTERFLIES Defined for Kids
butterfly
noun but·ter·fly \ˈbə-tər-ˌflī\
plural but·ter·flies
Definition of BUTTERFLY for Kids
: an insect that has a slender body and large colored wings covered with tiny overlapping scales and that flies mostly in the daytime
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