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Glite Dictionary
👑 A royal governor 🦋 A butterfly
viceroy

viceroy

1 9.2
A North American butterfly like a monarch but smaller with a black line on its hind wings
  • noun
  • /ˈvaɪsˌrɔɪ/
  • US
translation icon : mariposa viceroy
  • The viceroy is often mistaken for the monarch butterfly because of its similar coloration and pattern.
  • viceroy butterfly

Examples

  • The viceroy butterfly has striking orange-and-black wings that closely resemble its toxic counterpart, the monarch butterfly.

  • I spotted a viceroy fluttering near the garden.

  • A viceroy can be distinguished from a monarch by the black line crossing its hind wings.

  • The viceroy mimics the appearance of the monarch butterfly to deter predators.

  • We spotted a viceroy resting on a milkweed plant in the garden.

  • The viceroy butterfly is often mistaken for the monarch.

  • Many people enjoy observing the viceroy butterfly as it flits gracefully through gardens and meadows.

Synonyms

Limenitis archippus
vsviceroy
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American butterfly like a small monarch with a black line on its hind wings

is the common everyday name used outside scientific contexts

Surface Forms

viceroy singular
viceroys plural

Morphology

viceroy = vice (opaque) = vice + roy

Although the form is analyzable as 'vice-' + a root meaning 'king', the butterfly name is a conventional common name and cannot be predicted from the parts by an average learner.

Etymology

The word viceroy for the butterfly was chosen because it looks like the monarch butterfly. A viceroy is a ruler who 'stands in for' the king, so the butterfly 'stands in for' the monarch to fool predators.