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Glite Dictionary
hairstreak

hairstreak

1 9.9
A small butterfly with thin hairlike lines under the wings
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛrˌstrik/
translation icon : mariposa hairstreak
  • The green hairstreak is a small butterfly known for its vibrant, greenish underside.
  • the purple hairstreak
  • the great purple hairstreak
  • the gray hairstreak

Examples

  • Your crossvine is spectacular, and you got a wonderful shot of the Juniper Hairstreak.

    Blog text (21)

  • "Petey, it's a great purple hairstreak."

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Up, up, up flew the great purple hairstreak, shimmering blue then purple, circling the tree.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • I believe this is a Juniper Hairstreak, a little tattered but enjoying its time on my Blackfoot Daisy.

    Blog text (21)

  • The largest butterfly glimmered: curved tails hung from the hind wings of the great purple hairstreak.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • I have a cabbage white, holly blues, a swallowtail—even a great purple hairstreak right now.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Callophrys rubi, the Green Hairstreak, fringed from wingtip to thorax in the softest of greys.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I spotted a hairstreak fluttering near the flowers in my garden last summer.

  • The great purple hairstreak is recognized by its shimmering blue and purple wings.

Synonyms

hairstreak butterfly
vshairstreak
  • Specialized
8.4

A small butterfly with thin lines like hairs under its wings

is the shorter name used without the added noun

Compounds

hairstreak butterfly
  • Specialized
8.4

A small butterfly with thin lines like hairs under its wings

Surface Forms

hairstreak singular
hairstreaks plural

Morphology

hairstreak = hair + streak (transparent) = hair + streak

The compound literally describes a thin line resembling a hair on the wing underside; the meaning is directly deducible from 'hair' + 'streak'.

Etymology

The word hairstreak is made from hair and streak, where hair means 'thin' and streak means 'a line', so it names a small butterfly with fine, hairlike lines on the underside of its wings.