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

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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

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While infected cicadas are supposed to be rare, Kasson and his small team collected 36 during their brief hunt in the Chicago area. —

Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 20 June 2024 The fungus causes infected males to jerk their wings, making a familiar humming noise only made by female cicadas. —

Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 10 June 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for cicada