mourning cloak

noun

1. an anglewing butterfly, Nymphalis antiopa, widely distributed in Europe and North America, having velvety, dark-brown wings with purple spots and pale-yellow edges.

mourning cloak

noun

1. the US name for Camberwell beauty

Word History and Origins

Origin of mourning cloak¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

Adult mourning cloak, question mark and comma butterflies may overwinter next year in these piles.

From Washington Post

One of the butterflies you can plan to spot nearly year-round is the mourning cloak — they are one of the seven butterflies that overwinter in the Sinlahekin.

From Seattle Times

It ends on Ahsoka's spiritual death as she stands over a graveyard of fallen soldiers in an ashen mourning cloak.

From Salon

Some butterflies, like the mourning cloak, are freshly emerged from the narrow crevices where they spent the winter, and may find little else in bloom for weeks.

From New York Times

Monarchs, western tiger swallowtails, mourning cloaks and California sisters are just a few of the garden’s VIPs.

From Los Angeles Times