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banded purple

banded purple

9.9
A North American butterfly with dark blue-black wings and a wide white band
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : mariposa bandada
  • The banded purple is admired for its striking white band across dark wings.

Examples

  • We spotted a banded purple resting on a maple leaf in the garden.

  • The banded purple butterfly is often seen near streams.

  • Many hikers enjoy watching banded purples fluttering along woodland trails in the summer.

  • Look at that banded purple fluttering by!

  • Many hikers enjoy watching banded purples fluttering along woodland trails in the summer.

  • The banded purple butterfly is often seen near streams during warm weather.

  • We spotted a banded purple resting on a maple leaf in the garden.

Synonyms

white admiral
vsbanded purple
  • US
9.1

A dark butterfly with a wide white band on its wings that lives in North American woods

is the more specific subspecies form within that species
Limenitis arthemis
vsbanded purple
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American butterfly with blue-black wings and a wide white band

is the specific subspecies rather than the whole species

Surface Forms

banded purple singular

Morphology

banded + purple

The phrase is compositional: 'banded' means marked with bands and 'purple' names the color, so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to something purple with bands. In context (e.g. 'fluttering') they can reasonably infer it denotes a butterfly species, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Banded purple comes from how the butterfly looks: dark, slightly purple wings cut by a wide white band. So banded means 'having a band' and purple points to the wing color, which is why the name helps you picture the insect.