painted lady

noun

1
: a migratory nymphalid butterfly (Vanessa cardui) with wings mottled in brown, orange, black, and white
2

Examples of painted lady in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Orange clouds of painted lady butterflies swarm there on their way to Northern Europe, and herds of wild horses roam among the oil installations. Stanley Reed, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2019 The butterflies in question were painted ladies, which are sometimes mistaken for monarch butterflies. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'painted lady.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of painted lady was in 1699

Dictionary Entries Near painted lady

Cite this Entry

“Painted lady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painted%20lady. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

painted lady

noun
: a butterfly with brown, orange, black, and white wings that migrates long distances

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