butterfly

  1. Noun.  A flying insect of the order ''Lepidoptera'', distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring. (defdate, from 11th c.) .
  2. Noun.  (context, now) Someone seen as being unserious and (originally) dressed gaudily; someone flighty and unreliable. (defdate, from 17th c.) .
  3. Noun.  The butterfly stroke. (defdate, from 20th c.) .
  4. Noun.  A use of surgical tape, cut into thin strips and placed across an open wound to hold it closed.
  5. Verb.  To cut almost entirely in half and spread the halves apart, in a shape suggesting the wings of a butterfly.
  6. Verb.  To cut strips of surgical tape or plasters into thin strips, and place across a gaping wound to close it.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.