Definition of: fritillary

(frit′ə·ler′ē) noun plural ·lar·ies
1. One of a genus (Fritillaria) of arctic or north–temperate bulbous plants of the lily family in which the flowers are checkered with pale and dark purple.
2. One of various butterflies (Argynnis, Dione, and related genera) having wings checkered with black and light brown, whose caterpillars feed on the violet and related plants. [<NL Fritillaria <L fritillus a dice box; from its checkered markings]