noun

butterfly

butterfly

A beautiful butterfly landed on the flower.

A beautiful butterfly landed on the flower.

He is good at swimming the butterfly.

He is good at swimming the butterfly.

a/an ((noun)) an insect. I saw a beautiful butterfly.

the ((noun)) a swimming stroke. The butterfly is a difficult swimming stroke.

Synonyms: moth

From Old English 'butorflēoge'. The origin is uncertain, but it may relate to the colour of a common species or a folk belief that these insects stole butter.

A simple but incorrect way to remember it is to picture a stick of 'butter' that can 'fly'. It's a memorable image.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.