red admiral

noun

: a nymphalid butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) that is common in both Europe and America, has broad orange-red bands on the forewings, and feeds chiefly on nettles in the larval stage

Illustration of red admiral

Illustration of red admiral

Examples of red admiral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Native throughout North America, hops are most famously used for beer-making, but they can also be brewed into hot teas, and their flowers are highly attractive to butterflies like the red admiral. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024 Small children were wide-eyed and giggly when a delicate red admiral landed on their shoulder, or when a brightly colored monarch softly touched down on a young lady’s nose. San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022 Known to entomologists as , the red admiral is mostly black, with white spots near the wing tips, orange bands on the hind wings, and a bright red band on the forewing. Dan Southerland, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2020 Queen, Gulf fritillary, black swallowtail, giant swallowtail, sulfur, red admiral, American beauty and other species of butterflies are flying right now in area landscapes. Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, 13 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'red admiral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red admiral was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near red admiral

Cite this Entry

“Red admiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20admiral. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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