cicada

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a stout-bodied insect with large transparent wings, whose males produce a loud buzzing or clicking call

   The cicada's call grew louder as the afternoon became hotter.

Borrowed from Latin cicada, the ancient name of the insect and probably an imitation of its repetitive call. The Latin plural cicadae remains available alongside the regular English plural cicadas.

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