butterfly

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A flying insect with large, often brightly coloured wings.

   A blue butterfly landed on the flower.

2. 2
   noun

   A nervous, fluttering feeling in the stomach.

   I get butterflies before every exam.

3. 3
   verb

   To cut meat or fish almost in half and spread it open flat for cooking.

   He butterflied the chicken breast before grilling it.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Butterfly is an Old English formation whose naming remains uncertain, with related forms found in other Germanic languages. It may have referred to yellow or cream-colored species such as the brimstone butterfly, but this explanation is not established.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws Proto-Hellenic *gʷous Ancient Greek βοῦς (boûs) Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂-der. Proto-Hellenic *tūrós Ancient Greek τυρός (turós) Ancient Greek βούτῡρον (boútūron)bor. Latin būtȳrumbor. Proto-West Germanic *buterā Old English butere Proto-Indo-European *plew- Proto-Indo-European *plewk-der. Proto-Germanic *fleuganą Proto-Germanic *fleugǭ Proto-West Germanic *fleugā Old English flēoge Old English buterflēoge Middle English boterflye English butterfly From Middle English buterflie, butturflye, boterflye, from Old English buterflēoge, equivalent to butter…

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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