Wordnet 3.0
NOUN (1)
1.
small usually brilliantly colored tropical marine fishes having narrow deep bodies with large broad fins;
found worldwide;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.] (Zool.)
A general name for the numerous species of diurnal
Lepidoptera.
Note: [See Illust. under Aphrodite.]
[1913 Webster]
Asclepias butterfly. See under Asclepias.
Butterfly fish (Zool.), the ocellated blenny (Blennius
ocellaris) of Europe. See Blenny. The term is also
applied to the flying gurnard.
Butterfly shell (Zool.), a shell of the genus Voluta.
Butterfly valve (Mech.), a kind of double clack valve,
consisting of two semicircular clappers or wings hinged to
a cross rib in the pump bucket. When open it somewhat
resembles a butterfly in shape.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
butterfly fish
n 1: small usually brilliantly colored tropical marine fishes
having narrow deep bodies with large broad fins; found
worldwide