vanessa

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: Va=nes=sa

CIDE DICTIONARY

vanessa, n. [Probably from Swift's poem of Cadenus and Vanessa. See Vanessa, in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.].

 Any one of numerous species of handsomely colored butterflies belonging to Vanessa and allied genera. Many of these species have the edges of the wings irregularly scalloped.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vanessa, n. any butterfly of the genus Vanessa, including the red admiral and the painted lady.

Etymology

mod.L