The Collaborative International Dictionary
Butterfly \But"ter*fly`\, n.; pl. Butterflies. [Perh. from the color of a yellow species. AS. buter-fl[=e]ge, buttor-fle['o]ge; cf. G. butterfliege, D. botervlieg. See Butter, and Fly.] (Zo["o]l.) A general name for the numerous species of diurnal Lepidoptera.
Note: [See Illust. under Aphrodite.]
Asclepias butterfly. See under Asclepias.
Butterfly fish (Zo["o]l.), the ocellated blenny ( Blennius ocellaris) of Europe. See Blenny. The term is also applied to the flying gurnard.
Butterfly shell (Zo["o]l.), a shell of the genus Voluta.
Butterfly valve (Mech.), a kind of double clack valve, consisting of two semicircular clappers or wings hinged to a cross rib in the pump bucket. When open it somewhat resembles a butterfly in shape.
Wiktionary
n. 1 Any fish of the family Chaetodontidae. 2 (taxlink Pantodon buchholzi species noshow=1), a small brown fish of western African streams, often found in aquariums. 3 The (vern butterfly cod pedia=1) ((taxlink Pterois volitans species noshow=1)). 4 The (vern ocellated blenny pedia=1) ((taxlink Opisthocentrus ocellatus species noshow=1)). 5 The flying gurnard ((taxlink Dactyloptena orientalis species noshow=1)). 6 (taxlink Exocoetus volitans species noshow=1), a flying fish of the Atlantic. 7 A chiton, a mollusc of the class Polyplacophora. 8 Any of several brightly colored fishes
WordNet
n. small usually brilliantly colored tropical marine fishes having narrow deep bodies with large broad fins; found worldwide
Usage examples of "butterfly fish".
At her quarters, Panille had stared out at a different kind of undersea, a garden lush with ferns waving and butterfly fish grooming the leaves.
As he had said, it was not doing well: a dead butterfly fish was floating near one side, and the coral that composed its walls showed no sign of living polyps.
He had ordered soup made of smoked oysters from Palawan Island, a second course of delicate butterfly fish fillets in a marvelous sauce of fresh coconut, a main course of breasts of chicken boiled in coconut milk, a salad of hearts of palm, a Spanish dessert called lecheflcm, which was a kind of custard swimming in caramel sauce, and thick, aromatic Batangas coffee.