monarch butterfly

noun

: a large migratory American butterfly (Danaus plexippus) that has orange-brown wings with black veins and borders and a larva that feeds on milkweed

Illustration of monarch butterfly

Illustration of monarch butterfly

Examples of monarch butterfly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Improve monarch butterfly habitats near Chinatown Project Monarch L.A. will host a volunteer day from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Los Angeles State Historic Park near Chinatown. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified monarch butterflies as endangered in 2022. Gayoung Lee, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024 Spanish photographer Jaime Rojo took the top prize for his ethereal image (seen below) of monarch butterflies in the trees of Mexico’s El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 28 Nov. 2024 California State Parks is the largest single land manager for monarch butterfly groves, and the agency plays a big role in the species’ conservation. Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 4 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for monarch butterfly

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of monarch butterfly was in 1890

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Cite this Entry

“Monarch butterfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarch%20butterfly. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

monarch butterfly

noun
: a large orange and black American butterfly that migrates in large numbers in the spring and fall and whose larva feeds on milkweed

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