mariposa

noun

mar·​i·​po·​sa

ˌmarəˈpōsə,

-ȯzə

variants or mariposa moonfish

plural -s

: opah

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish mariposa, from Spanish, butterfly, probably from María Mary (the Virgin Mary) + Spanish posar to alight, from Late Latin pausare to stop, rest

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!