A butterfly is an insect with large, often brightly colored wings that goes through stages of egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult. It is active during the day and is known for its delicate, fluttering flight.
From Old English 'buttorfleoge,' literally 'butter-fly.' The exact reason for the name is debated; some think it refers to the yellow color of some butterflies, others to old folk tales about witches in the shape of insects stealing butter. The form ‘butterfly’ has been stable in English for many centuries.
The name 'butterfly' might come from superstition: people once suspected these insects of sneaking into houses and stealing butter. Scientifically, butterflies are just one branch of the same order as moths—Lepidoptera, which means 'scale-winged' because their wings are covered in tiny scales. The 'butterflies in your stomach' feeling comes from the fluttering, unsettled sensation we get when nervous.
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