seventeen-year locust
[ sev-uhn-teen-yeer ]
noun
a cicada, Magicicada septendecim, of the eastern U.S., having nymphs that live in the soil, usually emerging in great numbers after 17 years in the North or 13 years in the South.
Origin of seventeen-year locust
1First recorded in 1810–20
- Also called periodical cicada.
Words Nearby seventeen-year locust
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for seventeen-year locust
seventeen-year locust
noun
an E North American cicada, Magicicada septendecim, appearing in great numbers at infrequent intervals because its nymphs take 13 or 17 years to mature: Also called: periodical cicada
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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