| butterfly |  | |
| 1. n. A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring. | |
| 2. n. A use of surgical tape, cut into thin strips and placed across an open wound to hold it closed. | |
| butterfly tape | |
| 3. n. (swimming) The butterfly stroke. | |
| 4. n. (now rare) Someone seen as being unserious and (originally) dressed gaudily; someone flighty and unreliable. | |
| 5. v. 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. | |
| 6. v. To cut strips of surgical tape or plasters into thin strips, and place across (a gaping wound) to close it. | |
