butterfly

butterfly
I. noun Usage: often attributive Date: before 12th century 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 II. transitive verb (-flied; -flying) Date: 1954 to split almost entirely and spread apart <
a butterflied steak
>
<
butterflied shrimp
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Butterfly — (engl. für ‚Schmetterling‘) steht für: Butterflymesser oder Balisong, eine Klappmesserart Butterfly (Finanzwesen), eine Investitionsstrategie Butterfly Verschluss, einen stabilen Verschluss, besonders an Transportkisten Venenverweilkanüle, eine… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ButterFly — ButterFly …   Википедия

  • Butterfly — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Butterfly (en inglés: mariposa) puede referirse: Contenido 1 Música 1.1 Álbumes 1.2 Canciones 2 V …   Wikipedia Español

  • butterfly — [but′ərflī΄] n. pl. butterflies [ME buterflie < OE buttorfleoge (see BUTTER & FLY2): in folklore, it is thought to steal milk or butter] 1. any of various families of lepidopteran insects active in the daytime, having a sucking mouthpart,… …   English World dictionary

  • Butterfly — But ter*fly , n.; pl. {Butterflies}. [Perh. from the color of a yellow species. AS. buter fl[=e]ge, buttor fle[ o]ge; cf. G. butterfliege, D. botervlieg. See {Butter}, and {Fly}.] (Zo[ o]l.) A general name for the numerous species of diurnal… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • butterfly — O.E. buttorfleoge, perhaps based on the old notion that the insects (or witches disguised as butterflies) consume butter or milk that is left uncovered. Or, less creatively, simply because the pale yellow color of many species wings suggests the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • butterfly — m DEFINICIJA v. baterflaj …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • butterfly — ► NOUN 1) an insect with two pairs of large, typically colourful wings held erect when at rest, feeding on nectar and active by day. 2) a showy or frivolous person. 3) (butterflies) informal a fluttering and nauseous sensation felt in the stomach …   English terms dictionary

  • Butterfly — calesButterflies are characterized by their scale covered wings.The coloration of butterfly wings is created by minute scales. These scales are pigmented with melanins that give them blacks and browns, but blues, greens, reds and iridescence are… …   Wikipedia

  • Butterfly — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Sur les autres projets Wikimedia : « Butterfly », sur le Wiktionnaire (dictionnaire universel) Butterfly est le mot anglais qui signifie… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • butterfly — butterflylike, adj., adv. /but euhr fluy /, n., pl. butterflies, v., butterflied, butterflying, adj. n. 1. any of numerous diurnal insects of the order Lepidoptera, characterized by clubbed antennae, a slender body, and large, broad, often… …   Universalium

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