butterfly stroke
1
3.9
- noun
- /ˈbʌtərflaɪ stroʊk/
- Specialized
:
estilo mariposa
- When competing in the Olympics, many swimmers excel at the butterfly stroke due to its challenging technique.
- do a butterfly stroke
Yeah, I know I could do the butterfly stroke like, well, and Mika's like, OK.
- Yeah, I know I could do the butterfly stroke like, well, and Mika's like, OK.
- Consider a a power lifter performing a butterfly stroke.
Examples
-
I just did 30 laps doing the butterfly stroke.
-
Maybe it was butterfly stroke.
-
Yeah, I know I could do the butterfly stroke like, well, and Mika's like, OK.
-
I don't know why but I feel like Max will be the best at butterfly stroke swimming and I could really see George being the best makeup artist.
-
I surge into the water with three heaves of butterfly stroke, just to feel how strong I am in the water and how the sun feels on my back as I fling out of the sea like a fish.
Fiction book (2000) -
The man's body arced up from the water, arms outspread as if he'd risen at the crest of a butterfly stroke.
Fiction book (1996) -
To master the butterfly stroke, swimmers practice synchronizing their arm movements with a powerful dolphin kick.
-
In swimming lessons, the instructor emphasizes the importance of breathing while performing the butterfly stroke.
Synonyms
19
5.8
A swimming stroke where both arms move together and the legs kick like a dolphin
How Fast
- Specialized
21
3.3
- Specialized
1
3.9
9
3.5
10
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The word 'stroke' clearly marks this as a type of swimming movement, so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it is a named swimming style. However, the specific technique (arms together and a dolphin kick) is conventionalized and not fully predictable from 'butterfly' + 'stroke', so the exact mechanical meaning requires prior exposure.
Etymology
Butterfly stroke gets its name from the way a swimmer's arms move together like a butterfly's wings while the body rolls in a wave. So butterfly means the wing-like arm motion and stroke means 'a way of swimming', which is why the phrase names this swimming style.