fritillary

/fri'tiləri/

Thân thiện

A fritillary butterfly rests on a purple wildflower in a sunny meadow.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of butterfly: A fritillary is a butterfly, typically with orange or brownish wings that are patterned with black spots and often silvery markings.
   • A type of flowering plant: A fritillary is also a bulbous plant of the genus Fritillaria, belonging to the lily family, characterized by its bell-shaped, often checkered or nodding flowers.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Butterfly):
  • We spotted a silver-washed fritillary in the meadow.
  • The dark green fritillary is one of the largest fritillary species in the region.
• Noun (Plant):
  • The snake's head fritillary has beautiful, drooping purple-and-white checkered flowers.
  • She planted several fritillary bulbs in her autumn garden.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used specifically in both botany and entomology. Context usually makes the meaning clear.
  • In botanical terms, the fritillary is prized for its unique, pendant blooms.
  • The conservation status of the high brown fritillary is a cause for concern among lepidopterists.

Variants and Related Words

• Fritillaria (n): The botanical genus name for the fritillary plant.
  • The genus Fritillaria includes many species of ornamental flowers.
• Checkered (adj): Often used to describe the common pattern on the flowers of many fritillary plants.
  • The fritillary's checkered pattern is distinctive.

Synonyms

• Butterfly: For the insect meaning, related terms include specific names like argus (for some species).
• Flower/Bulb: For the plant meaning, it can be generally described as a lily family plant or spring bulb.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The two meanings (butterfly and plant) are homographs—they are spelled the same but refer to completely different things. Their shared etymology comes from the Latin , meaning "dice-box," likely referring to the checkered pattern common to both the butterfly's wings and the flowers of some plant species.

Học thuật

Noun

1. butterfly with brownish wings marked with black and silver
2. any liliaceous plant of the genus Fritillaria having nodding variously colored flowers

Từ đồng nghĩa

• checkered lily