cicada

Definition

Any of several insects in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with small eyes wide apart on the head and transparent well-veined wings.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cicāda, ultimately onomatopoeic. Doublet of cicala.

Example Sentences

• "Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals."
• "The emergence years of the principal cicada broods have now been recorded for a long time, and the oldest record of a swarm is that of the appearance of the “locusts” in New England two hundred and ninety-five years ago."
• "Last year, the Brood I cicadas were found in Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. The cicadas that will emerge in New Jersey this year are part of Brood II or The East Coast Brood. They will also be found in Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia."

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