Illustration of swallowtail
- swallowtail 3
swallowtail
noun
swal·low·tail
ˈswä-lō-ˌtāl 
-lə-
1
: a deeply forked and tapering tail (as of a swallow)
2
: tailcoat
3
: any of various usually large brightly marked butterflies (family Papilionidae, especially genus Papilio) with each hind wing typically having an elongated process
Examples of swallowtail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While that swallowtail languished in my board bag, the wide, early-rise nose of the Transition Finder provided unbelievable buoyancy on hip-deep tree runs, mini-truck-sized pillow poppers, and sidecountry sojourns.
—
Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 26 Sep. 2024
For example, some swallowtail butterflies, particularly the black swallowtail, use plants in the parsley family as host plants.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2024
On the right, a wood thrush is perched on the branch of a spicebush while a spicebush swallowtail flies overhead.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2024
What to do: Control for swallowtail butterflies is not necessary.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for swallowtail 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 26 Sep. 2024
For example, some swallowtail butterflies, particularly the black swallowtail, use plants in the parsley family as host plants.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2024
On the right, a wood thrush is perched on the branch of a spicebush while a spicebush swallowtail flies overhead.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2024
What to do: Control for swallowtail butterflies is not necessary.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for swallowtail
Dictionary Entries Near swallowtail
Cite this Entry
“Swallowtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swallowtail. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swallowtail
noun
swal·low·tail
ˈswäl-ō-ˌtāl
1
: a deeply forked and tapering tail (as of a swallow)
2
: any of various usually large butterflies in which the hind wing is elongated into a process that resembles a tail
swallow-tailed
adjective
ˌswäl-ō-ˈtāld
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share