butterfly

English

WOTD – 23 January 2006

A butterfly.

A brimstone butterfly. The word butterfly may have its origins in the name of yellow (or cream-coloured) butterflies such as this.

Etymology

From Middle English buterflie, butturflye, boterflye, from Old English buterflēoge, equivalent to butter +‎ fly. Cognate with Dutch botervlieg, German Butterfliege (“butterfly”). The name may have originally been applied to butterflies of a yellowish color, and/or reflected a belief that butterflies ate milk and butter (compare German Molkendieb (“butterfly”, literally “whey-thief”) and Low German Botterlicker (“butterfly”, literally “butter-licker”)), or that they excreted a butter-like substance (compare Dutch boterschijte (“butterfly”, literally “butter-shitter”)). Compare also German Schmetterling from Schmetten (“cream”), German Low German Bottervögel (“butterfly”, literally “butter-fowl”). More at butter, fly.

An alternate theory suggests that the first element may have originally been butor- (“beater”), a mutation of bēatan (“to beat”).

Superseded non-native Middle English papilion (“butterfly”) borrowed from Old French papillon (“butterfly”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʌtə(ɹ)flaɪ/
  • IPA^(key): [ˈbʌɾɚflaɪ]

  • Audio (CA):

    (file)

  • IPA^(key): [ˈbʌtəflaɪ]

  • Audio (RP):

    (file)

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

butterfly (plural butterflies)

2. A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring. [from 11th c.]
   • 1936, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “[Autobiographical Fragment]”, in Edward D[avid] McDonald, editor, Phoenix: The Posthumous Papers of D. H. Lawrence, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, page 836:

     It is true. I am like a butterfly, and I shall only live a little while.

3. (medicine, attributive) A use of surgical tape, cut into thin strips and placed across an open wound to hold it closed.

   butterfly tape; butterfly bandage; butterfly strips

5. (swimming) The butterfly stroke. [from 20th c.]
6. Any of several plane curves that look like a butterfly; see Butterfly curve (transcendental) and Butterfly curve (algebraic).
7. (in the plural) A sensation of excited anxiety felt in the stomach.

   I get terrible butterflies before an exam.

8. (now rare) Someone seen as being unserious and (originally) dressed gaudily; someone flighty and unreliable. [from 17th c.]
   • 1859, George Meredith, chapter 15, in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel. A History of Father and Son. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC:

     He was affable; therefore he was frivolous. The women liked him; therefore he was a butterfly.

   • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:

     The day came indeed when her breathless auditors learnt from her in bewilderment that what ailed him was that he was, alas, simply not serious. Maisie wept on Mrs. Wix's bosom after hearing that Sir Claude was a butterfly […].

9. (finance) A combination of four options of the same type at three strike prices giving limited profit and limited risk.
10. (alternate history) A random change in an aspect of the timeline seemingly unrelated to the primary point of divergence, resulting from the butterfly effect.

    One potential butterfly could be JFK having another son the year after the POD instead of a daughter.

11. (sports) A type of stretch in which one sits on the ground with the legs folded into a shape like that of a butterfly's wings, slightly rocking them up and down, resembling the wings fluttering.
12. A person who changes partners frequently.
    • 2022 December 9, Darren C, “Paying For Bar Girls, Sex in Pattaya”, in Pattaya Unlimited‎^[1]:

      What does it mean to be a butterfly in Pattaya? It means, just like a butterfly briefly visits many flowers, you will briefly visit many different girls.

Synonyms

• (flying insect): lep

Hypernyms

• (flying insect): pollinator

Derived terms

• alfalfa butterfly
• alpine butterfly bend
• alpine butterfly knot
• break a butterfly on a wheel
• break a butterfly on the wheel
• break a butterfly upon a wheel
• break a butterfly upon the wheel
• brush-footed butterfly
• butterflies in one's stomach
• butterfly adder
• butterfly agave (Agave potatorum)
• butterfly ballot
• butterfly banners
• butterfly bat (Glauconycteris variegata)
• butterfly bend
• butterfly bomb
• butterfly bush (see buddleia or buddleja)
• butterfly cake
• butterfly chair
• butterfly child
• butterfly clam (Ellipsaria lineolata)
• butterfly clip
• butterfly cod (Pterois spp.)
• butterfly collector (see lepidopterist or lepidopterology)
• butterfly connector
• butterfly crab (Cryptolithodes typicus)
• butterfly dam
• butterfly damper
• butterfly door
• butterfly effect
• butterfly fish
• butterfly flower (see schizanthus)
• butterfly grip
• butterfly hinge
• butterfly keyboard
• butterfly kick
• butterfly kiss
• butterfly knife
• butterfly knot
• butterfly-knotted
• butterfly lily (Hedychium coronarium)
• butterfly loop
• butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• butterfly mine
• butterfly mussel
• butterfly needle
• butterfly net
• butterfly nut (wing nut)
• butterfly orchid
• butterfly pea
• butterfly plant (Carallia brachiata)
• butterfly position
• butterfly ray (Gymnuridae)
• butterfly roof
• butterfly screw
• butterfly shell (Mucrospirifer spp., Chiton spp.)
• butterfly skin
• butterfly sleeve
• butterfly stitch
• butterfly stroke (swimming)
• butterfly syringe
• butterfly table
• butterfly tulip (Calochortus vestae)
• butterfly upon a wheel
• butterfly valve
• butterfly watching
• butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• butterfly window
• cabbage butterfly (Pieris brassicae)
• California dogface butterfly
• emperor butterfly
• float like a butterfly
• gossamer-winged butterfly
• iron butterfly
• lime butterfly (Papilio demoleus)
• map butterfly
• monarch butterfly
• moth butterfly
• nettle tree butterfly
• owl butterfly
• paper kite butterfly
• peacock butterfly
• sea butterfly
• semicolon butterfly
• snout butterfly
• social butterfly
• spinal butterfly ray
• sulfur butterfly, sulphur butterfly
• thistle butterfly
• Troilus butterfly
• zebra butterfly

 

Translations

insect

• Abaza: лымхӏарыгӏв (ləmḥarəʻʷ)
• Abkhaz: аԥарԥалыкь (aparpaləkʲʼ), ахьчҧаҧыр (axʲčpapər)
• Acatepec Me'phaa: pi̱jpí
• Acehnese: bambang, bangbang
• Adja: pkolinouhoin
• Adnyamathanha: vurruka
• Adyghe: хьэтӏрэпӏый (ḥɛtʼrɛpʼəj) (Shapsug), хьампӏырашъу (ḥampʼərašʷu) (Temgoy), хьэнтӏэрэпӏый (ḥɛntʼɛrɛpʼəj) (Abzakh)
• Afrikaans: skoenlapper
• Ahom: 𑜉𑜢𑜂𑜫 𑜈𑜣 (miṅ bī)
• Ainu: ヘポラㇷ゚ (heporap), マレゥレゥ (marewrew)
• Akan:

  Twi: afafantɔ

• Alabama: hakchoopàalpa
• Albanian: flutur (sq) f
• Amharic: ቢራቢሮ (birabiro)
• Amis: adipangpang, 'adipangpang
• Angami: zopruo
• Antillean Creole: papiyòt
• Apache:

  Western Apache: doolé

• Arabic: فَرَاشَة (ar) f (farāša)

  Algerian Arabic: بوفرفطو, بابيو

  Egyptian Arabic: ابو دقيق m (ʔabu diʔīʔ), فراش m (farāš)

  Gulf Arabic: طرفشانة m (ṭerfešāna)

  Hijazi Arabic: فراشة f (farāša)

  Moroccan Arabic: فراشة f (farāša), فرططو m (farṭuṭṭu)

  North Levantine Arabic: فَراشة (farāše)

  Tunisian Arabic: فرططو (farṭaṭṭu)

• Aragonese: paxarela f, volandrina f, palometa f, pamparola f, bombolón m
• Araki: p̈ep̈e
• Arapaho: nihˀoːteibeihiː
• Armenian: թիթեռ (hy) (tʻitʻeṙ), մաշկաթիթեղ (maškatʻitʻeġ) (dialectal)

  Old Armenian: թիթեռն (tʻitʻeṙn)

• Aromanian: flituru m
• Assamese: পখিলা (pokhila)
• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܦܵܪܚܘܿܢܝܼܬ݂ܵܐ f (pārḥōnīṯā)
• Asturian: mariposa (ast) f, pumarina (ast) f, caparina (ast) f
• Ateso: eporiporit
• Atikamekw: kwakwapicic
• Avar: кӏалкӏучӏ (kʼalkʼučʼ)
• Aymara: pilpintu
• Azerbaijani: kəpənək (az), pərvanə (az)
• Balinese: kupu-kupu
• Bambara: dimago, npɛrɛnpɛrɛ, nfirinfirin, afúntúnkpεkpε
• Bandjalang: banjalahm
• Baniwa: makaru
• Barngarla: bilyilya
• Bashkir: күбәләк (kübələk)
• Basque: tximeleta (eu), pinpilinpauxa (eu), inguma (eu), marisorgin, pinpirin (eu), jainkoilo (eu), txipirrita
• Bats: პეპელ (ṗeṗel)
• Bau Bidayuh: karimunuo
• Bavarian: Waifåita
• Belarusian: матылёк (be) m (matyljók), маты́ль m (matýlʹ)
• Bengali: প্রজাপতি (bn) (projapoti)
• Bikol Central: kulagbaw (bcl), kalibangbang (bcl)
• Binukid: kalibangbang
• Bislama: nambembe
• Bouyei: mbucmbax
• Breton: balafenn (br) f
• Brooke's Point Palawano: babang
• Brunei Malay: kulimambang
• Bulgarian: пеперу́да (bg) f (peperúda)
• Burmese: လိပ်ပြာ (my) (lippra)
• Buryat: эрбээхэй (erbeexej)
• Caddo: banús
• Carrier: tsangwelht'ah
• Catalan: papallona (ca) f, (dialectal, dated) papalló (ca) m, (dialectal) papaió m, (dialectal) babaiana f, (dialectal) paloma (ca) f, (dialectal) palometa (ca) f
• Cebuano: alibangbang, kabakaba
• Central Atlas Tamazight: ⵉⴱⵍⵉⵍⵍⵉ (iblilli)
• Central Dusun: kolibambang
• Central Mazahua: xefi
• Central Sierra Miwok: hól·ok·iṭiwa-
• Ch'orti': pehpem, pehpim
• Chamicuro: kamajto
• Chamorro: ababang
• Chechen: полла (polla)
• Cheke Holo: naʼalo
• Cherokee: ᎧᎹᎹ (kamama)
• Cheyenne: hevávȧhkema
• Chichicapan Zapotec: bidxiidxi
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 蝴蝶 (wu⁴ dip^6-2)

  Dungan: хўте (hwti͡ə)

  Eastern Min: 蝴蝶 (hù-diĕk)

  Gan: 蝴蝶 (fu⁴ tiet)

  Hakka: 揚蝶仔／扬蝶仔 (yòng-ya̍k-é, yòng-ya̍p-é)

  Hokkien: 蝶仔 (zh-min-nan) (ia̍h-á), 蝴蝶 (zh-min-nan) (ô͘-tia̍p), 尾蝶 (zh-min-nan) (bóe-ia̍h, bé-ia̍h), 尾蝶仔 (bóe-ia̍h-á, bé-ia̍h-á), 蝶婆 (ia̍h-pô)

  Jin: 蝴蝶 (hu¹ dieh⁵)

  Mandarin: 蝴蝶 (zh) (húdié)

  Wu: 蝴蝶 (⁶wu-diq)

  Xiang: 蝴蝶 (fu² tie⁶)

• Chipewyan: yágoli
• Choctaw: hatapushik
• Chol: pejpem
• Chukchi: ӄопаԓготкочьын (qopalgotkoč'yn)
• Chuukese: nipwisipwis
• Chuvash: лӗпӗш (lĕp̬ĕš)
• Coastal Kadazan: kohibambang
• Coatecas Altas Zapotec: mitet
• Cornish: tykki Duw m
• Creek: tvffolupv
• Crimean Tatar: köbelek
• Cupeño: malvel
• Czech: motýl (cs) m
• Dakota: kimimina
• Danish: sommerfugl (da) c, sommerflue (North Jutland), skurvefugl (South Jutland)
• Dargwa: къабулдан (ɢabuldan)
• Darkinjung: burrudir
• Dharug: burrudyara
• Dhivehi: ކޮކާ (kokā)
• Dhuwal: buurnba
• Dieri: karlipilhi
• Dolgan: лөрүө (lörüö)
• Dupaningan Agta: lelle, lollo
• Dutch: (neutral) vlinder (nl) m; (dated) kapel (nl) f, pepel m, vijfwouter m; (archaic) boterschijte f, botervlieg f, pennenvogel m, schoenlapper (nl) m, zomervogel m; (poetic) fladderaar m
• Eastern Bontoc: fob-ollo
• Elfdalian: fyörolder m
• Emilian: parpàja f
• Erzya: нимиляв (ńimiľav)
• Esperanto: papilio (eo)
• Estonian: liblikas (et)
• Evenki: лэрэдэ (lərədə), авава (awawa)
• Ewe: dyekpakpa
• Faroese: firvaldur m, summarfuglur m, fiðrildi n
• Fijian: bebe (fj)
• Finnish: perhonen (fi)
• Fon: afúntúnkpεkpε, awɛwɛ
• French: papillon (fr) m
• Friulian: pavee f
• Fula: pucharlar (Guinée Conakry), bidilallah (Mauritania), bedelallah, palapala (Sierra Leone), lilldeh
• Gagauz: kelebek
• Galician: bolboreta (gl) f, volvoreta f, barboleta f, avelaíña f, andola f, volalla f
• Gamilaraay: balabalaa
• Gen: abèbe, abè, abey
• Georgian: პეპელა (ka) (ṗeṗela)
• German: Schmetterling (de) m, (poetic) Falter (de) m, Tagfalter (de) m

  Alemannic German: Summervogel m, Fifalter m

  Pennsylvania German: Fleddermaus f

• Gong: ลาบู้
• Gooniyandi: malimali
• Greek: πεταλούδα (el) f (petaloúda), ψυχή (el) f (psychí)

  Ancient: σητόδοκις f (sētódokis), ψυχή f (psukhḗ)

• Greenlandic: pakkaluaq, utsuppaluaq
• Guaraní: panambi
• Guerrero Amuzgo: kítzë
• Gujarati: પતંગિયું n (pataṅgiyũ), ફૂદું n (phūdũ)
• Gutnish: fjädavall m, fjädurhalldi m, fjädaralld m
• Hadiyya: birabira
• Haitian Creole: papiyon
• Haiǁom: abuxare
• Hausa: balebale, bude littafi, malam bu'de littafi
• Hawaiian: pulelehua
• Hebrew: פַּרְפַּר (he) m (parpár)
• Heiltsuk: hḷúlu
• Hidatsa: abóoga
• Higaonon: alibangbang
• Hiligaynon: alibangbang
• Hindi: तितली (hi) f (titlī)
• Hopi: masivie, poliwe
• Huichol: kɨpí
• Hungarian: pillangó (hu), lepke (hu)
• Hupa: kidiwisčeˀ
• Icelandic: fiðrildi (is) n
• Idi: kwendere
• Ido: papiliono (io)
• Igbo: olookolombooka
• Ila: inkongolo, sikapempenya
• Ilocano: kulibangbang
• Indonesian: kupu-kupu (id), rama-rama
• Ineseño: ˀayatulutul
• Ingrian: unilintu
• Ingush: кӏормац (kʼormac)
• Interlingua: papilion
• Inuktitut: ᑕᕐᕋᓕᑭᑖᖅ (tarralikitaaq)
• Inupiaq: taqalukisaq
• Irish: féileacán (ga) m
• Italian: farfalla (it) f
• Italiot Greek: ajarài n
• Itelmen: вэвэчӽ (vevečχ)
• Ivatan: kodibabang
• Jakaltek: nam
• Japanese: 蝶々 (ja) (ちょうちょう, chōchō), 蝶 (ja) (ちょう, chō), 蝴蝶 (ja) (こちょう, kochō), チョウ (ja) (chō)
• Jarawa: peʈpel
• Javanese: kupu (jv)
• Kabardian: хьэндырабгъуэ (kbd) (ḥɛndərabğʷɛ)
• Kabuverdianu: gorgoleta
• Kabyle: aferṭeṭṭu m
• Kalagan: karibangbang
• Kalmyk: эрвәкә (erväkä)
• Kamba: kimbalut'ya
• Kanakanabu: ta'anna
• Kannada: ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ (kn) (ciṭṭe), ಹಾತೆ (kn) (hāte)
• Kapampangan: talúbang
• Karachay-Balkar: дибилдирик (dibildirik), гёбелекке (göbelekke)
• Karaim: kebalak
• Karakalpak: gu‘belek
• Karelian: liipukkaine
• Karok: xatimniim
• Kashmiri: پَنہٕ پونٛپُر (panhụ pōnpur)
• Kashubian: mòtil m
• Kaurna: pilyapilya
• Kazakh: елбелек (elbelek), көбелек (köbelek)
• Khakas: ӧрбекей, хубаған (xubağan)
• Khmer: មេអំបៅ (km) (mei ʼɑmbaw)
• Khowar: پلمنڈوک (pulmunḍúk)
• Kikuyu: kĩĩhuruta class 7
• Kimaragang: kolibambang
• Klallam: ƛ̕aʔƛ̕ápt
• Koasati: hacokpalpa
• Komi-Permyak: бобув (bobuv)
• Kongo: lumbembambemba
• Konkani: [script needed] (pakho)
• Konni: kpanjabi
• Korean: 나비 (ko) (nabi), 호접(胡蝶) (hojeop)
• Krobu: kutuu
• Kumyk: гюмелек (gümelek), гёбелек (göbelek)
• Kunigami: タベールー (tabērū)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: پەپوولە (ckb) (pepûle)

  Northern Kurdish: pelatînk (ku) f, sepirek, pirpirok (ku)

• Kwanyama: onanga
• Kwara'ae: bébe
• Kyrgyz: көпөлөк (ky) (köpölök)
• Lachixío Zapotec: biti
• Ladin: pavël m
• Lak: чӏимучӏали (čʼimučʼali), цӏицӏимкӏала (cʼicʼimkʼala)
• Lakota: kimimila
• Lamba: ici-pempele
• Lao: ແມງກະເບື້ອ (lo) (mǣng ka bư̄a)
• Latgalian: tauriņs m, lipiņs m
• Latin: pāpiliō (la) m
• Latvian: taurenis
• Lenje: limpempele
• Lezgi: чепелукь (čepeluq̇)
• Limburgish: zómmersvleeg f
• Limos Kalinga: kullapoy
• Lingala: kipouzala class 9a/10a, mpornboli class 9/10
• Lithuanian: drugys (lt) m, drugelis m, peteliškė f
• Livonian: libālabā, liblabbiņ, liepālinki, liepālind
• Lombard: parpai m
• Low German:

  Dutch Low Saxon: pennevoegel (Achterhoeks, Drents, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Urkers, Veluws), vlinder (Achterhoeks, Drents, Gronings, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Veluws); bottervliege (Gronings, Sallands), bottervoegel (Gronings, Sallands, Twents), kepelle (Twents, Veluws), zoemervoegel (Achterhoeks, Twents)

  German Low German: Bottervagel m, Sommervagel m; Botterlicker m, Fleerling m; Sommerlott m; Pennvogel m, Bottervögel m

• Luba-Kasai: bulubulu
• Lubuagan Kalinga: kullapoy
• Luganda: ekiwojjolo class 7/8
• Luhya: likuyukuyu
• Luo: oguyo
• Luxembourgish: Päiperlek (lb) m, Mëllerchen m, Millermoler m
• Maasai: ɔsámpúrimpúri
• Macanese: copo-copo
• Macedonian: пеперутка f (peperutka), пеперуга f (peperuga)
• Majang: bimbilo
• Malagasy: lolo (mg)
• Malay: kupu-kupu, rama-rama
• Malayalam: ചിത്രശലഭം (ml) (citraśalabhaṁ), പൂമ്പാറ്റ (ml) (pūmpāṟṟa)
• Maltese: farfett m
• Mam: paki'l
• Manchu: ᡤᡝᡶᡝᡥᡝ (gefehe)
• Mandingo: vrievran
• Mandinka: firifiroo
• Manobo: kelivangbang
• Mansaka: karibangbang
• Manx: foillycan m, follican m, folican m
• Maori: pēpepe, pepeke, pūrerehua, wairua atua
• Mapudungun: jampvzkeñ
• Maranao: paroparo
• Marathi: फुलपाखरू n (phulpākhrū)
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari: лыве (lyve)

• Masbatenyo: kulibangbang
• Matbat: bimbompu
• Mauritian Creole: papiyon
• Maykulan: pardirr
• Mazanderani: پاپلی (pâpëli)
• Mekeo: fefe, fefe-fefe, pepeo (West Mekeo)
• Mende: buwa
• Mi'kmaq: mimiges anim
• Middle Dutch: vīveltre
• Middle English: buterflie
• Middle High German: vīvalter
• Mingo: utsiˀtsnôwê
• Mingrelian: ფარფალი (parpali)
• Mirandese: paixarina f
• Miyako: チョーチョー (chōchō)
• Mohawk: tsiktsinēnsawen
• Moksha: мелав (melav)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: эрвээхэй (mn) (erveexej)

  Mongolian: ᠡᠷᠪᠡᠬᠡᠢ (erbekei)

• Montagnais: kuakuapishish
• Montana Salish: kʷelùlegu
• Moore: pilimpiko, abaga
• Mopan Maya: pempem
• Motu: kau-bebe
• Mudburra: marlimarlirni
• Muong: bươm bưởm
• Murrinh-Patha: manman
• Nafaanra: kaambɛɛlɛ
• Nahuatl:

  Central: papalotl

  Central Huasteca: papalotl

  Classical: papalotl

  Coatepec: papalu

  Cosoleacaque: me̱me

  Guerrero: papalotl

  Morelos: papalotl

  Tetelcingo: pöpölutl

  Western Huasteca: papalotl

  Zacatlán-Ahuacatlán-Tepetzintla: papalotl

• Nanai: кокони (kokoni), чакини (čakini)
• Nanticoke: aumawncohunt
• Narungga: billalya
• Nauruan: iyewaeoe
• Navajo: kʼaalógii
• Neapolitan: palomma f
• Nepali: पुतली (putali)
• Ngaju: kakupo
• Ngarrindjeri: lompalampi, ngartari
• Ngiyambaa: pilyu-pilyuka
• Nogai: куьпелек (küpelek)
• Norman: papillote f (Jersey)
• Northern Altai: кӧбӧлек (köbölek)
• Northern Catanduanes Bicolano: karibangbang
• Northern Kankanay: palikwawa
• Northern Mansi: ^{(please verify)} ла̄панты (lāpanty)
• Northern Ndebele: ivevane class 5/6
• Northern Paiute: tsoapu
• Northern Pomo: ʔuytʰoktok
• Northern Sotho: serurubele
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: sommerfugl (no) m, fivreld m or n, fryvil m

  Nynorsk: sommarfugl m, sumarfugl m, fivreld (nn) n, fivrelde (nn) n, marihøne f (some dialects)

• Nyunga: bataplai, bindi bindi, ban-ban
• Nzadi: ipááfǔl
• Nǀuu: purukutsi
• O'odham: hohokimal
• Occitan: parpalhòl (oc) m, parpalhòc m, parpalhon (oc) m
• Odia: ପ୍ରଜାପତି (or) (prôjapôti)
• Ojibwe: memengwaa
• Okinawan: はべる (haberu)
• Old English: fīfalde f
• Old High German: fīfaltra, fīfaltara
• Old Norse: fīfrildi
• Old Saxon: fīfoldara
• Old Tupi: panama, panapanã, panapanama
• Oromo: biillaacha
• Ossetian: гӕлӕбу (gælæbu)
• Otomi:

  Mezquital: tu̱mu̱

• Ottoman Turkish: كلبك (kelebek)
• Paiwan: kalidrungudrungulj
• Palantla Chinantec: chi²tsǿ²
• Palauan: bangikoi
• Papiamentu: barbulètè, barbulèt
• Pashto: شاپرک m (šāparak), پروانه (ps) f (parwāna), پتنګ m (patang)
• Persian:

  Dari: شَوْپَرَک, پَرْوَانَه (fa) (parwāna)

  Iranian Persian: پَرْوانِه (fa), پِرْپِروک (dialectal)

• Phuthi: sirûrûbëlë class 7/8
• Pipil: papalut
• Pirahã: sibíoí
• Pitjantjatjara: pinta-pinta
• Plains Cree: ᑲᒫᒪᐠ, kamâmak
• Plautdietsch: Sommavoagel n
• Polish: motyl (pl) m
• Portuguese: borboleta (pt) f, panapaná (pt) m (Brazil)
• Punjabi: ਤਿਤਲੀ f (titlī)
• Purepecha: parakata
• Quechua: pillpintu
• Romani: lepetka
• Romanian: fluture (ro) m
• Romansch: spler m, tgiralla f, tschitta f
• Russian: ба́бочка (ru) f (bábočka), мотылёк (ru) m (motyljók), моты́ль (ru) m (motýlʹ)
• Rwanda-Rundi:

  Kinyarwanda: ikinyugunyugu class 7/8

• S'gaw Karen: စီးကပ့ၤ (saẅ ka paȳ), စီၤကပ့ၤ (saw̄ ka paȳ)
• Saanich: sk̕ʷəw̕lex̣əʔ
• Sami:

  Kildin Sami: а̄льп (āl’p)

  Northern Sami: beaiveloddi

• Samoan: pepe
• Sanskrit: पतंगम (sa) (pataṃgama), शलभ (sa) m (śalabha)
• Santali: ᱯᱤᱯᱲᱤᱚᱝ (pipṛiôṅ)
• Saramaccan: adömítö, azöbítötö
• Sardinian: mariavolavola m, cabagasu m, maniposa f
• Saterland Frisian: Flitterke f
• Scanian: sømmarfuğl m
• Scots: butterflee
• Scottish Gaelic: dearbadan-de m, dealan-dè (gd) m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ле̏птӣр m

  Roman: lȅptīr (sh) m

• Seri: seenel
• Seychellois Creole: papiyon
• Sherpa: བ་ལིབ (ba lib)
• Shipibo-Conibo: pempén
• Shona: shavishavi
• Shoshone: a'yapodoongi, a'ipputoonkih (Western Shoshoni)
• Sicilian: parpagghiuni (scn) m
• Sidamo: bilach'a
• Silesian: szmaterlok m
• Sindhi: پوپٽ (sd) m (popaṭu)
• Sinhalese: සමනළ (samanaḷa), සමනලයා (samanalayā)
• Slovak: motýľ (sk) m
• Slovene: metulj (sl) m
• Somali: balanbaalis f, babbisjinni m
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: mjatel m

  Upper Sorbian: mjetel m

• Sotho: sororomele, serurubele (st)
• Southern Altai: кӧбӧлӧк (köbölök)
• Southern Amami-Oshima: ハブぃラ (habïra)
• Southern Kalinga: ullapoy
• Southern Sierra Miwok: kiṭīlah
• Spanish: mariposa (es) f
• Sranan Tongo: kapelka
• Sumerian: 𒄵 (giriš)
• Sundanese: kukupu
• Susu: chuani
• Svan: პერპელ (ṗerṗel)
• Swahili: kipepeo (sw) class 7/8
• Swazi: luvivane class 11/10
• Swedish: fjäril (sv) c, dagfjäril (sv) c
• Sylheti: ꠌꠇꠞ (soxor)
• Tabasaran: ппазиппенд (p̄azip̄end)
• Tagalog: paruparo, mariposa
• Tagish: lelā
• Tahitian: pepe (daytime), pūrehua (night)
• Taíno: tanama
• Taita: kifurute
• Tajik: шапалак (tg) (šapalak), шабпара (šabpara)
• Tamil: வண்ணத்துப்பூச்சி (ta) (vaṇṇattuppūcci), பட்டாம்பூச்சி (ta) (paṭṭāmpūcci)
• Tarifit: afarṭu m, taḥjijat f
• Tat: пелпелек (pelpelek)
• Tatar: күбәләк (tt) (kübäläk)
• Tausug: kabakaba
• Tboli: kbangi
• Telugu: సీతాకోక చిలుక (sītākōka ciluka)
• Tenango Otomi: tømø
• Tetum: kopukopu, kukulai
• Tewa: pojoaque
• Thai: ผีเสื้อ (th) (pǐi-sʉ̂ʉa)
• Tibetan: ཕྱེ་མ་ལེབ (phye ma leb), ཕྱེ་ལེབ (phye leb), ཅེམ་ཅེམ་མ (cem cem ma)
• Tigre: tsenblale
• Tigrinya: ጽምብላሊዕ (ti) (ṣəmbəlaliʿ)
• Tiruray: kélibangbang
• Tiwi: kwarikwaringa f
• Tlingit: tleilóo, ḵaa daa l'eix̱í
• Tofa: һебеген (hebegen)
• Tok Pisin: bataplai, bembe
• Tongan: pepe
• Tsonga: phapharati
• Tswana: serurubele class 7
• Tundra Nenets: ламбрё (lambrjo)
• Tupinambá: panama
• Turkish: kelebek (tr)
• Turkmen: kebelek
• Tuvan: ховаган (xovagan)
• Tzotzil: pepen
• Udi: pepalak, phephalak
• Udihe: гэптэ (gəptə)
• Udmurt: бубыли (bubyľi)
• Ukrainian: мете́лик (uk) m (metélyk)
• Urdu: تِتْلی f (titlī)
• Urubú-Kaapor: iyenye, yenjè
• Urum: гомалака, гӧбелек, гӧмелек, гӱбелек, кӱбелек
• Usila Chinantec: a¹seg⁴
• Uyghur: كېپىنەك (këpinek)
• Uzbek: kapalak (uz)
• Veps: lipkaine
• Vietnamese: bươm bướm (vi), bướm (vi)
• Vilamovian: mulkiadrymuł m
• Virgin Islands Creole: zanimo
• Volapük: pab (vo)
• Võro: tsibiläne, liblik
• Vurës: rōm
• Walloon: påwion (wa) m
• Waray-Waray: alibangbang, rapudapo
• Warlpiri: cinci-maɭu-maɭu
• Wastek: lemtutu
• Welsh: pilipala m, (colloquial) pili-pala (cy), (standard) iâr fach yr haf (cy), glöyn byw (cy) m, pilipalod m pl
• West Coast Bajau: kelebambang
• West Flemish: vlienders m
• West Frisian: flinter (fy) c
• White Hmong: npooj npaim
• Wik-Mungkan: konkoniyang
• Wik-Ngathana: kalpakalpay
• Wiradjuri: buuja-buuja
• Wolaytta: mukaw
• Wolof: lëpp-lëpp bi
• Xhosa: ibhabhathane class 5/6
• Yakut: лыах (lıaq), үрүмэччи (ürümecci)
• Yámana: yamostálla
• Yaqui: baiseeboli
• Yiddish: זומער־פֿייגעלע n (zumer-feygele), פֿלאַטערל n (flaterl), פּיאַטלינקע f (pyatlinke), באַבעטשקע f (babetshke)
• Yindjibarndi: gawarliwarli
• Yogad: alibámban
• Yoruba: labalábá
• Yucatec Maya: péepen, péepem
• Yup'ik: caqelngataq
• Yurok: werrp
• Zazaki: perperık m, pılpılık, perpelek f
• Zenzontepec Chatino: kwiylīxí
• Zhuang: mbaj
• Zulu: uvemvane (zu) class 11/10

butterfly tape

• Czech: motýlek
• Finnish: perhoslaastari
• French: pansement papillon m
• Swahili: kipepeo (sw)

swimming stroke — see butterfly stroke

plane curve that looks like a butterfly

• Finnish: perhoskäyrä

sensation

• Finnish: perhosia vatsassa

someone seen as unserious, flighty and unreliable

• Finnish: tuuliviiri (fi)

finance: type of combination of four options

• Finnish: perhonen (fi), perhosoptio

random change working through butterfly effect

• Finnish: perhosen siivenisku

sports: type of stretch

• Finnish: perhosvenytys

person who changes partners frequently

• Finnish: elostelija (fi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Aragonese: ^{(please verify)} birabolas, ^{(please verify)} pitazana
• Argobba: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Aymara: ^{(please verify)} taparacu
• Baagandji: ^{(please verify)} bilyululijga
• Gafat: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Harari: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} angiak
• Inor: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Iyojwa'ja Chorote: ^{(please verify)} choqoq
• Iyo'wujwa Chorote: ^{(please verify)} choqoq
• Kistane: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Kongo: ^{(please verify)} lumbebeba
• Maca: ^{(please verify)} choqoq
• Mentawai: ^{(please verify)} angiak
• Mesmes: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Minangkabau: ^{(please verify)} angiak
• Sebat Bet Gurage: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Silt'e: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Wichí Lhamtés Güisnay: ^{(please verify)} choqoq
• Wichí Lhamtés Nocten: ^{(please verify)} choqoq
• Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz: ^{(please verify)} choqoq
• Wolane: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot
• Zay: ^{(please verify)} billambilloot

Verb

butterfly (third-person singular simple present butterflies, present participle butterflying, simple past and past participle butterflied)

1. (transitive) To cut (food) almost entirely in half and spread the halves apart, in a shape suggesting the wings of a butterfly.

   butterflied shrimp

   Butterfly the chicken before you grill it.

2. (transitive) To cut strips of surgical tape or plasters into thin strips, and place across (a gaping wound) to close it.
   • 2006, Paul Garber, Newton's Force, page 256:

     After everyone had obeyed his commands, the lieutenant motioned for two medics that now appeared to enter the room and attend to Dr. Carter. They bandaged him up, butterflying some of the deeper gashes and gave him a couple of shots.

3. (transitive, of the point of divergence of an alternate history scenario) To cause events after the point of divergence to not happen as they did in real history, and people conceived after the point of divergence to not exist in recognizable form, due to the random variations introduced by the butterfly effect.

   Pearl Harbor not happening would've butterflied Taylor Swift.

See also

• caterpillar
• flutterby
• moth
• Appendix:Animals
• Appendix:English collective nouns

Anagrams

• flutterby

Danish

Noun

butterfly c (singular definite butterflyen, plural indefinite butterfly)

1. bowtie

Inflection

Declension of butterfly

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	butterfly	butterflyen	butterfly	butterflyene
genitive	butterflys	butterflyens	butterflys	butterflyenes