: any of various usually large brightly marked butterflies (family Papilionidae, especially genus Papilio) with each hind wing typically having an elongated process
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.
For example, about 18,000 species of butterfly exist – think monarch, zebra swallowtail or cabbage white.—Nicholas Green, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2025 While that swallowtail languished in my board bag, the wide, early-rise nose of the Transition Finder provided unbelievable buoyancy on hip-deep tree runs, mini-truck-sized pillow poppers, and sidecountry sojourns.—Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 26 Sep. 2024 For example, some swallowtail butterflies, particularly the black swallowtail, use plants in the parsley family as host plants.—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2024 On the right, a wood thrush is perched on the branch of a spicebush while a spicebush swallowtail flies overhead.—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for swallowtail
Share