butterfly

noun

1. 1.

   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.

2. 2.

   swimming

   The butterfly stroke.

3. 3.

   alternate history

   A random change in an aspect of the timeline seemingly unrelated to the primary point of divergence, resulting from the butterfly effect.

4. 4.

   in the plural

   Ellipsis of butterflies in one's stomach ("A sensation of excited anxiety felt in the stomach").

5. 5.

   swimming

   A swimming stroke in which the arms are thrown forward together out of the water while the feet kick up and down

6. 6.

   Any of several plane curves that look like a butterfly; see Butterfly curve (transcendental) and Butterfly curve (algebraic).

verb

1. 1.

   transitive

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

2. 2.

   (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.

3. 3.

   Cut and spread open, as in preparation for cooking

4. 4.

   transitive

   To cut strips of surgical tape or plasters into thin strips, and place across (a gaping wound) to close it.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

• butterfly collectornounCompound term

  An entomologist who specializes in the collection and study of butterflies and moths.

• butterfly effectnounCompound term

  The phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere, e.g., a butterfly flapping its wings in Rio de Janeiro might change the weather in…

• butterfly fishnounCompound term

  Small usually brilliantly colored tropical marine fishes having narrow deep bodies with large broad fins.

• butterfly flowernounCompound term

  Any plant of the genus Schizanthus having finely divided leaves and showy variegated flowers.

• butterfly nutnounCompound term

  A threaded nut with winglike projections for thumb and forefinger leverage in turning.

• butterfly orchisnounCompound term

  Mexican epiphytic orchid having pale green or yellow-green flowers with white purple-veined lip.