cicada

noun

ci·​ca·​da sə-ˈkā-də  -ˈkä- 

sī-ˈkā-

plural cicadas also cicadae sə-ˈkā-(ˌ)dē 

-ˈkä-;

sī-ˈkā-

: any of a family (Cicadidae) of homopterous insects which have a stout body, wide blunt head, and large transparent wings and the males of which produce a loud buzzing noise usually by stridulation

Did you know?

Members of a family of insects, cicadas have a stout body, wide blunt head, two pairs of transparent wings, prominent compound eyes, and three simple eyes. Most of the 1,500 known species are found in tropical deserts, grasslands, and forests. Males produce loud noises by vibrating membranes near the base of the abdomen. Most North. American cicadas produce rhythmical ticks, buzzes, or whines, though the "song" of some species is musical. Periodic cicadas, including the well-known 17-year cicada (often erroneously called the 17-year locust) and 13-year cicada appear in regular cycles. Their larvae burrow into the ground, where they remain for 13 or 17 years, feeding on juices sucked from roots. Then they emerge in large numbers to live aboveground as adults for a single week.

Examples of cicada in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But what drove ancient cicadas to shift their wing shape in the first place? —Byrodrigo Pérez Ortega, science.org, 25 Oct. 2024

Gray parrots screeched overhead, cicadas loudly made their presence known. —Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2024

How could anything so numerous as cicadas disappear? —Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024

Arizona's hot, dry climate provides an ideal environment year round for many bugs, including ticks, cicadas, palo verde beetles and arachnids such as Joro spiders, black widows and lots of scorpions (including bark scorpions). —Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 17 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, genus name, from Latin, cicada

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cicada

• periodical cicada

Kids Definition

cicada

noun

ci·​ca·​da sə-ˈkād-ə  -ˈkäd- 

: any of a family of stout-bodied insects that have a wide blunt head, large transparent wings, and the males of which make a loud buzzing noise