- [countable]
a flying insect with a long thin body and four large, usually brightly coloured, wings 蝴蝶 
butterflies and moths 蝴蝶和蛾 She's like a butterfly. She flits in and out of people's lives. 她像一只蝴蝶，在人们的生活中穿梭。 The butterfly emerged from the pupa. 蝴蝶由蛹孵化而出。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + butterfly- chase
- collect
- attract
- …
- flit
- flutter
- fly
- …
- wing
- [uncountable]
a swimming stroke in which you swim on your front and lift both arms forward at the same time while your legs move up and down together 蝶泳 
Word OriginOld English, from butter + the insect fly; perhaps from the cream or yellow colour of common species, or from an old belief that the insects stole butter.
Idioms
have butterflies (in your stomach)
- (informal)
to have a nervous feeling in your stomach before doing something （做某事前）心慌，紧张 I had butterflies in my stomach as I went to get my exam results. 在取考试结果的路上我心里忐忑不安。