n. Any of various often brightly colored butterflies of the family Nymphalidae or the subfamily Nymphalinae, having reduced forelegs that are not used for walking. [From New Latin Nymphālidae, family name, from Nymphālis, type genus, ultimately from Latin nympha, nymph; see NYMPH.] nympha·lid adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.