Vanessa \Van*es"sa\, n. [Probably from Swift's poem of Cadenus and Vanessa. See Vanessa, in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.]

(Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of handsomely colored butterflies belonging to Vanessa and allied genera. Many of these species have the edges of the wings irregularly scalloped.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)