Papilionaceous

adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Pertaining to a butterfly or butterflies. obsolete

    "Thefe are alfo called by Reaumur Papillionaceous Flies, that have their wings half tranfparent."

  2. 2
    Having a corolla in the form of a butterfly, with prominent wing-like petals; (generally) pertaining to the Faboidea (Papilionoidea) family of plants.

    "[T]he broad road is lined with wild bushes and tangled shrubs lavishly decked with brilliant blossoms: the lentisk, so covered with yellow, papilionaceous flowers [translating Schmetterlingsblumen] that not a green leaf is visible…"

  3. 3
    Like a butterfly; showy; capricious. figuratively

    "Ali G was a glorious, comedic butterfly, but it's my sad duty to report that his exquisitely papilionaceous character is currently being broken upon a wheel."

Example

More examples

"Thefe are alfo called by Reaumur Papillionaceous Flies, that have their wings half tranfparent."

Etymology

From New Latin papilionaceus (from Latin pāpiliō (“butterfly”)) + -ous. In scientific sense, after Papilionaceae (family name).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.