butterfly

butterfly — noun

IPA/ˈbʌtəflaɪ/
KK[bˈʌtɚflˌaɪ]IPA/ˈbʌtərflaɪ/
  • butterflysingular
  • butterfliesplural

1. a small flying creature that has a thin body, two pairs of wide wings that are u

1.nounB1
Definition

a small flying creature that has a thin body, two pairs of wide wings that are usually marked with bright colours and patterns, and feeds on the nectar of flowers.

Example

A yellow butterfly landed on the lavender bush in Grandma's garden.

subject + landed on [flower]

Maya watched a blue butterfly flap its wings slowly in the morning sun.

watch + butterfly + flap its wings

Common collocations
  • catch a butterfly
  • chase butterflies
  • a colourful butterfly
  • a butterfly flaps its wings

Usage Note

Often appears as a symbol of beauty, fragility, or change in literature, because the insect transforms from a caterpillar.

Common Mistakes

A butterfly has six legs and two wings.
A butterfly has six legs and four wings.
butterflies have two pairs of wings, so four in total.

2. someone who moves quickly from one interest, group, or activity to another, usua

2.noun
Definition

someone who moves quickly from one interest, group, or activity to another, usually because they enjoy fun and attention more than steady commitment.

Example

At every party Lina is a real social butterfly, chatting happily with strangers all evening.

social butterfly (fixed phrase)

Marcus is too much of a butterfly to finish any project he starts.

be a butterfly + cannot finish

Common collocations
  • a social butterfly
  • a real butterfly
Synonyms
  • playboy

    stronger, usually male, with a focus on romance and pleasure

  • dilettante

    formal; stresses shallow interest in arts or hobbies rather than fun-seeking

Antonyms
  • homebody

    someone who prefers staying home over chasing new scenes

Usage Note

Mildly critical when used alone; the fixed compound 'social butterfly' is more neutral and even friendly. Often refers to women in older texts, but applies to any gender today.

Common Mistakes

He is a butterfly because he loves nature.
He is a butterfly because he never sticks to one job.
this sense is about restlessness, not a love of insects.

3. a tiny metal clip that slides onto an earring's post from behind, holding the je

3.noun
Definition

a tiny metal clip that slides onto an earring's post from behind, holding the jewellery firmly against the ear so it cannot drop off.

Example

Sarah lost the butterfly from her gold earring while she was running for the bus.

lose the butterfly from [earring]

The jeweller gave Mei a pair of silver butterflies to replace the missing ones.

plural: butterflies = earring backs

Common collocations
  • lose the butterfly
  • tighten the butterfly
  • a missing butterfly
Synonyms
  • earring back

    the everyday name; 'butterfly' is the shop term for the small bowtie-shaped type

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (the insect): this sense always refers to a small piece of jewellery hardware, not a living creature, and is countable.

4. a swimming style done face-down, where both arms swing forward together above th

4.noun
Definition

a swimming style done face-down, where both arms swing forward together above the surface and the legs kick in a smooth wave-like motion.

Example

Carlos won gold in the 200-metre butterfly at the school swimming meet.

the 200-metre butterfly (race)

Coach Tanaka taught the team how to swim the butterfly without getting tired.

swim the butterfly

Common collocations
  • swim butterfly
  • the butterfly stroke
  • do the butterfly
  • a butterfly race
  • a butterfly swimmer
Synonyms
  • fly

    informal short form used by swimmers themselves

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

do/swim + the butterfly

Usage Note

Often shortened from 'butterfly stroke'. Takes 'the' when naming the stroke ('the butterfly') but no article when contrasted with other strokes ('butterfly is harder than backstroke').

Common Mistakes

She swims a butterfly every morning.
She swims butterfly every morning.
use no article or 'the butterfly', not 'a butterfly'.
Idioms

have butterflies (in your stomach)

idiom

To feel nervous or anxious, especially before an important event.

Maya had butterflies in her stomach before her piano recital.

Do you get butterflies before giving a speech?

butterfly — verb

IPA/ˈbʌt.ə.flaɪ/
KK[bˈʌtɚflˌaɪ]IPA/ˈbʌt̬.ɚ.flaɪ/

butterfly — adjective

IPA/ˈbʌt.ə.flaɪ/
KK[bˈʌtɚflˌaɪ]IPA/ˈbʌt̬.ɚ.flaɪ/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Butterfly, moth, and insect are related but different in scope and feeling. Insect is the broadest term and covers any small six-legged animal, from ants to beetles to mosquitoes. Butterfly is a specific kind of insect that flies during the day, has slender knobbed antennae, and rests with its wings held upright above its body; people usually associate butterflies with bright colours and gardens. Moth is the close night-time cousin: dull-coloured, often furry, with feathery antennae, and active around lamps after dark. Compare 'A monarch butterfly drifted across the meadow at noon' with 'A grey moth bumped into the lamp at midnight' — same family, very different mood.

butterfly ↗moth ↗insect ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • butterfly wings
  • butterfly net
  • butterfly garden
  • butterfly farm
  • butterfly collection

Phrases

  • as colourful as a butterfly
  • delicate as a butterfly

Prepositions

  • butterfly on (a flower)
  • butterfly in (a net)

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Butterfly comes from the Old English compound 'buttorfleoge', made from 'butter' plus 'fly'. Word historians are not fully sure why the insect was named after butter. One old idea is that yellow butterflies (such as the brimstone) reminded people of fresh butter; another folk story is that witches were believed to take the shape of butterflies to steal milk and butter from kitchens. The compound was already in use over a thousand years ago and survives almost unchanged in modern English. The cooking sense ('to butterfly a chicken') is much newer and comes from the resemblance of the cut, opened-out meat to a butterfly's spread wings.