painted lady

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paint·ed la·dy • n. 1. a migratory butterfly (genus Cynthia, family Nymphalidae) with predominantly orange-brown wings and darker markings. Species include the widely distributed C. cardui, with black and white markings, and the American painted lady (C. virginiensis), with eyemarks on the undersides of the wings.2. (also Painted Lady) a Victorian house, the exterior of which is painted in three or more colors, effectively highlighting the architecture.