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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
Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 20 Nov. 2024
Notable examples include the cicada killer wasp, which preys on cicadas but is generally not aggressive towards humans, and the tarantula hawk, known for its extremely painful sting, but usually only stings when provoked.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 16 Aug. 2024
The latest cicada emergence seems to have brought them back.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2024
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
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Dictionary Entries Near cicada
Cite this Entry
“Cicada.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cicada. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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