papilio Meaning, Definition & Usage

Pa*pil"i*o noun
Etymology
L., a butterfly.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A genus of butterflies. ✍ Formerly it included numerous species which are now placed in other genera. By many writers it is now restricted to the swallow-tailed butterflies, like Papilio polyxenes, or asterias, and related species.

Webster 1913