butterfly

Noun · Verb
Synonyms: butterfly strokechat upflirtdallycoquetcoquetteromancephilandermash

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

  1. diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings
  2. a swimming stroke in which the arms are thrown forward together out of the water while the feet kick up and downSynonyms: butterfly stroke

Verb (3)

  1. flutter like a butterfly
  2. cut and spread open, as in preparation for cooking“butterflied shrimp”
  3. talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions“The guys always try to chat up the new secretaries”“My husband never flirts with other women”Synonyms: chat upflirtdallycoquetcoquetteromancephilandermash
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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]

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