vanessa

plural vanessas

1. biologyAny butterfly of the genus Vanessa.

   The Nymphalidae are a very extensive group, of generally strong-winged and very bright-coloured butterflies, very abundant in the tropics, and represented in our own country by our Fritillaries, our Vanessas, and our Purple-emperor.

   1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume I, London: Macmillan and Co., page 438

1. A female given name originating as a coinage.

   Vanessa likes the ultrapopular Madison as a girl's name, which tells you everything you need to know about her personality.

   2007 December 3, Christy Lemire, “Review: "Juno" A Small Comic Charmer”, in CBS News, archived from the original on 16 Apr 2025

   3 more examples

   Vanessa be the Name / By which thou shalt be known to Fame. / Vanessa, by the Gods enroll'd: / Her Name on Earth - shall not be told.

   1726, Jonathan Swift, Cadenus and Vanessa

   A kind of girl that May had before only seen in the pages of fashion magazines, bored, disdainful, elegant, reluctantly admitted her. - - - She was asked to see Vanessa on the way out. She knew that the girl would be called something like Vanessa.

   1978, Maeve Binchy, Victoria Line, Central Line, Arrow, published 1993, →ISBN, pages 178, 179

   Democrats called for investigation, not resignation, after Vanessa Tyson accused Justin Fairfax of sexual assault earlier this week.

   2019 February 8, Dan Merica, “Key supporters tell Justin Fairfax to step down after 2nd sexual assault allegation”, in CNN, archived from the original on 24 Dec 2022