morpho
noun
mor·pho ˈmȯr-(ˌ)fō 
plural morphos
: any of a genus (Morpho of the family Morphoidae) of large showy tropical American butterflies that typically have a brilliant blue metallic luster on the upper surface of the wings
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The blue morpho, along with more than 30 other species of butterfly, actually was pretty easy to spot. 
Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2022 In its rooms, guests are greeted by a small wood and glass box with a blue morpho butterfly cocoon hanging from the top, waiting to emerge. Ali Wunderman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2021 Evolving the farm into an in-room amenity was a natural next step for the blue morpho experts, initially for guests traveling with children. Ali Wunderman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2021 Beyond orchids, seek out the garden’s many tropical plants and waterfalls At the Wings of the Tropics exhibit, butterflies like the blue morpho flutter overhead, looking like flowers in flight. Cameron Walker, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2021 The tiny scales on a morpho butterfly’s wings, for example, are covered with minuscule ridges that have cross-ribs—a little like the profile of a fir tree. Meg Wilcox, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2020 The tiny device was inspired by the morpho butterfly's eyes, according to the study published in the journal Optica. Fox News, 16 Apr. 2018 The tiny device was inspired by the morpho butterfly's eyes, according to the study published in the journal Optica. Fox News, 16 Apr. 2018 The tiny device was inspired by the morpho butterfly's eyes, according to the study published in the journal Optica. Fox News, 16 Apr. 2018 See More
Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2022 In its rooms, guests are greeted by a small wood and glass box with a blue morpho butterfly cocoon hanging from the top, waiting to emerge. Ali Wunderman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2021 Evolving the farm into an in-room amenity was a natural next step for the blue morpho experts, initially for guests traveling with children. Ali Wunderman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2021 Beyond orchids, seek out the garden’s many tropical plants and waterfalls At the Wings of the Tropics exhibit, butterflies like the blue morpho flutter overhead, looking like flowers in flight. Cameron Walker, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2021 The tiny scales on a morpho butterfly’s wings, for example, are covered with minuscule ridges that have cross-ribs—a little like the profile of a fir tree. Meg Wilcox, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2020 The tiny device was inspired by the morpho butterfly's eyes, according to the study published in the journal Optica. Fox News, 16 Apr. 2018 The tiny device was inspired by the morpho butterfly's eyes, according to the study published in the journal Optica. Fox News, 16 Apr. 2018 The tiny device was inspired by the morpho butterfly's eyes, according to the study published in the journal Optica. Fox News, 16 Apr. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek Morphō, epithet of Aphrodite
First Known Use
1853, in the meaning defined above