Butterflies meaning : (by ellipsis) butterflies in one's stomach A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring. A use of surgical tape, cut into thin strips and placed across an open wound to hold it closed. The butterfly stroke. (in plural) A sensation of excited anxiety felt in the stomach. Someone seen as being unserious and (originally) dressed gaudily; someone flighty and unreliable. To cut (food) almost entirely in half and spread the halves apart, in a shape suggesting the wings of a butterfly. To cut strips of surgical tape or plasters into thin strips, and place across (a gaping wound) to close it.