---
title: butterfly — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «butterfly» in the school dictionary: A butterfly is an insect with four large, often brightly coloured wings that flies by day. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# butterfly

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** butterfly, four large coloured wings, Butterflies, you, arms, social butterfly · **What happens:** be, fly, move, land, turn, drink · **To what, where:** insect, fluttery feeling, swimming stroke, water, person, friend · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«butterfly» in the school dictionary: its 4 meanings for a pupil and its 7 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [butterfly in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/butterfly.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A butterfly is an insect with four large, often brightly coloured wings that flies by day.

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:m1:1
# text = A butterfly is an insect with four large, often brightly coloured wings that flies by day.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	insect	insect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
7	four	four	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	13	nummod	_	_
8	large	large	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
10	often	often	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
11	brightly	brightly	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	coloured	coloured	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	wings	wing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
14	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	15	nsubj	_	_
15	flies	fly	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	acl:relcl	_	_
16	by	by	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	day	day	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a butterfly | a insect |  |  |  | with four large coloured wings | tree rules |
| 2 | **fly** | present | four large coloured wings |  |  |  | day |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Butterflies in your stomach is a fluttery feeling when you are nervous.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:m2:1
# text = Butterflies in your stomach is a fluttery feeling when you are nervous.
1	Butterflies	butterfly	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	stomach	stomach	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	fluttery	fluttery	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	12	advmod	_	_
10	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	nervous	nervous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Butterflies in your stomach | a fluttery feeling |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | you |  |  |  |  | nervous *property* | tree rules |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Butterfly (stroke) is a swimming stroke where both arms move over the water together.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:m3:1
# text = Butterfly (stroke) is a swimming stroke where both arms move over the water together.
1	Butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
2	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	stroke	stroke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	3	punct	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	swimming	swimming	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	stroke	stroke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	12	advmod	_	_
10	both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	det	_	_
11	arms	arm	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
12	move	move	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
13	over	over	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
16	together	together	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Butterfly | a swimming stroke |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **move** | present | both arms |  |  | the water |  | together *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme over water=Trajectory |

## Meaning 4 {#m4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A social butterfly is a person who moves happily from friend to friend.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:m4:1
# text = A social butterfly is a person who moves happily from friend to friend.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	social	social	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
8	moves	move	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
9	happily	happily	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a social butterfly | a person |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **move** | present | a person |  | friend |  |  | from friend; happily *property* | vn slide-11.2 «NP V PP.initial\_location PP.destination»: agent=Theme from friend=Initial\_Location to friend=Destination |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A butterfly landed on the flower.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:x1:1
# text = A butterfly landed on the flower.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	landed	land	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	flower	flower	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **land** | participle |  | a butterfly *not said here* |  | the flower |  |  | vn pocket-9.10-1 «NP V PP.destination»: agent=Theme on flower=Destination |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A caterpillar turns into a butterfly.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:x2:1
# text = A caterpillar turns into a butterfly.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	caterpillar	caterpillar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	turns	turn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	into	into	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | present | a caterpillar |  |  |  |  | into a butterfly *result* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme into butterfly=Result |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Butterflies drink nectar from flowers.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:x3:1
# text = Butterflies drink nectar from flowers.
1	Butterflies	butterfly	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	drink	drink	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	nectar	nectar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	flowers	flower	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **drink** | present | Butterflies | nectar |  | flowers |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nectar=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I had butterflies in my stomach before the play.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:x4:1
# text = I had butterflies in my stomach before the play.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	butterflies	butterfly	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	stomach	stomach	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	before	before	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	play	play	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | I | butterflies |  | my stomach | before the play |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent butterfly=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She swam the butterfly in the race.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:x5:1
# text = She swam the butterfly in the race.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	swam	swim	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	race	race	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **swim** | past | She | the butterfly |  | the race |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The butterfly came out of its chrysalis.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:x6:1
# text = The butterfly came out of its chrysalis.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	butterfly	butterfly	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	out	out	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	chrysalis	chrysalis	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come out** | past | the butterfly | butterfly's chrysalis |  |  |  |  | vn become-109.1 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Patient chrysalis=Result |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Suppose I hunt butterflies, and you, serpents.”

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:butterfly:x7:1
# text = Suppose I hunt butterflies, and you, serpents.”
1	Suppose	suppose	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	hunt	hunt	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	_
4	butterflies	butterfly	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	1	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	serpents	serpent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	”	"	PUNCT	''	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **suppose** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **hunt** | present | I | butterflies |  |  |  |  | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent butterfly=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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