Meaning & use
Aurelian
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A person who studies or collects butterflies and moths, especially as practiced in earlier centuries.
See it in a sentence
Eighteenth-century aurelians pinned their specimens carefully and recorded each species' habitat.
The naturalist described himself as an aurelian long before the word 'lepidopterist' came into common use.
A note on using this word
The term derives from the Latin 'aurum' (gold), referring to the golden sheen of certain chrysalides; it was largely replaced by 'lepidopterist' in the 19th century.
Words with a similar meaning
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Another way to use it
2. adjective
Golden or gilded in color.
The moth's aurelian wings shimmered in the afternoon light.
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