A genus of low herbs (Pinguicula) having simple leaves which secrete from their glandular upper surface a viscid fluid, to which insects adhere, after which the margin infolds and the insects are digested by the plant. The species are found mostly in the North Temperate zone. [1913 Webster]
butterwort, n. any bog plant of the genus Pinguicula, esp. P. vulgaris with violet-like flowers and fleshy leaves that secrete a fluid to trap small insects for nutrient.