Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Cicada

Ci-ca′da

(sĭ-kā′dȧ)
,
Noun.
;
pl. E.
Cicadas
(-dȧz)
, L.
Cicadæ
(-dē)
.
[L.]
(Zool.)
Any species of the genus
Cicada
or of the family
Cicadidae
. They are large hemipterous insects, with nearly transparent wings. The male makes a shrill sound by peculiar organs in the under side of the abdomen, consisting of a pair of stretched membranes, acted upon by powerful muscles. A noted American species (
Cicada septendecim
) is called the
seventeen year locust
. Another common species is the
dogday cicada
.

Syn. – cicala.

Webster 1828 Edition


Cicada

CICADA

,
Noun.
The frog-hopper, or flea locust; a genus of insects of many species.

Definition 2024


Cicada

Cicada

See also: cicada and cicadă

Translingual

Cicada orni
Cicada barbara

Proper noun

Cicada f

  1. A taxonomic genus within the family Cicadidae – certain European cicadas.

Translations

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

cicada

cicada

See also: Cicada and cicadă

English

Wikispecies

An adult cicada

Noun

cicada (plural cicadas or cicadae)

  1. Any of several insects in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with small eyes wide apart on the head and transparent well-veined wings.
    • 2012 March-April, Anna Lena Phillips, “Sneaky Silk Moths”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 172:
      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.
    1. The periodical cicada.
      • 2011, Robert Evans Snodgrass, Insects: Their Ways and Means of Living, page 217:
        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.
      • 2013 May 16, Laura Kroon, “Magicidada coming to New Jersey on May 27”, in Hunterdon County Democrat:
        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.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also


Latin

Etymology

Probably a loan-word from a lost Mediterranean language.

Pronunciation 1

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /kiˈkaː.da/, [kɪˈkaː.da]

Noun

cicāda f (genitive cicādae); first declension

  1. cicada, tree-cricket
  2. vocative singular of cicāda
Inflection

First declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative cicāda cicādae
genitive cicādae cicādārum
dative cicādae cicādīs
accusative cicādam cicādās
ablative cicādā cicādīs
vocative cicāda cicādae

Descendants

Pronunciation 2

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /kiˈkaː.daː/, [kɪˈkaː.daː]

Noun

cicādā

  1. ablative singular of cicāda

References