koolwitje

Dutch

Etymology

Compound of kool (“cabbage”) +‎ witje (“white (butterfly)”); cabbages are among the favored host plants for these butterflies of this genus to lay their eggs. Compare also the taxonomic names of the species of this genus, which contain brassicae ("of the cabbage") and rapae ("of the turnip"), respectively.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkoːlˌʋɪt.jə/

• Audio:

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• Hyphenation: kool‧wit‧je

Noun

koolwitje n (plural koolwitjes)

1. A cabbage white, one of two butterflies of the genus Pieris; either the small white (Pieris rapae) or the large white (Pieris brassicae).

Derived terms

• klein koolwitje
• groot koolwitje