Wiktionary

papillon

English

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A papillon

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From French papillon (“butterfly”), from Latin pāpiliō (“butterfly, moth”). Doublet of pavilion.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈpæpɪjɒ̃/, /ˌpæpiˈɒn/, /ˈpæpɪlɒn/, /pəˈpɪliən/

Noun

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papillon (plural papillons)

  1. A small dog of a certain breed having large ears.
    • 2014 November 29, Rachel Nuwer, “Lassie gets an upgrade”, in New Scientist, number 2997, page 47:
      The researchers tested various breeds, including border collies, golden retrievers, pit bulls, labradors and even Jackson's own little papillon.

Further reading

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French

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Alsacian woman wearing a black papillon (3).

Etymology

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From Old French papeillon (12th c.), byform of paveillon, whence the modern doublet pavillon (“pavilion”). Both from Latin pāpiliōnem. The form with recovered -p- may be semi-learned, but has also been explained as a native development due to onomatopoeia. Another possibility would be influence by a hypothetical Old French *parpeillon, from Vulgar Latin *parpiliōnem (cf. Occitan parpalhon). The swimming sense is a semantic loan from English.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /pa.pi.jɔ̃/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

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papillon m (plural papillons)

  1. butterfly
    Vif et léger comme un papillon. ― Lively and light like a butterfly.
  2. (by extension) someone brilliant, versatile and inconstant
    • 1833, Gautier, Albertus:
      Avec sa cour folâtre de jeunes merveilleux, papillons de boudoirs […] Véronique était là.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  3. (fashion) knot
    • 1842, Victor Hugo, Rhin:
      Le grand papillon noir, c’est la coiffure du pays. Coiffure gracieuse. De larges rubans de soie noire ajustés en cocarde sur le front, […] derrière laquelle les cheveux tombent sur le dos en deux longues nattes.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  4. (mechanics) Ellipsis of écrou papillon.; wing nut, butterfly nut
  5. (swimming) butterfly stroke
    Le record du monde en nage papillon. ― The world record for butterfly stroke.
    Nager le papillon. ― Swimming butterfly.
  6. (colloquial) parking ticket
    Les automobilistes parisiens ont fortement tendance à classer dans un tiroir les papillons qu’ils trouvent sur leur pare-brise.
    Parisian motorists have a strong tendency to file the tickets they find on their windshields in a drawer.
  7. (engineering) butterfly valve

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → Greek: παπιγιόν (papigión)
  • → Romanian: papion
  • → Turkish: papyon

See also

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Interjection

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papillon

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
    Minute papillon ! ― Wait a minute!

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Italian

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Noun

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papillon m (invariable)

  1. bow tie
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