How to pronounce butterfly
American English pronunciation
BUT-er-fly
- IPA
- /ˈbʌtɚˌflaɪ/
- Syllables
- BUT · er · fly (3 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What butterfly means
To cut food almost in half and open it out flat
In a sentence: Ask the butcher to butterfly the chicken so it lies flat on the grill.
Where it comes from: It comes from the Old English buterfleoge, butterfly, and no one is sure why the insect was linked to butter. The cooking meaning comes from how the opened food looks like a pair of wings.
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