locust

noun

lo·​cust ˈlō-kəst 

1

: short-horned grasshopper

especially : a migratory grasshopper often traveling in vast swarms and stripping the areas passed of all vegetation

2

: cicada

3

a

: any of various leguminous trees: such as

(1)

: carob sense 1

(2)

: black locust

(3)

: honey locust

b

: the wood of a locust tree

Examples of locust in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With sparrows no longer hunting and eating insects, crop pests such as locusts thrived, leading to crop destruction and famine. —Elizabeth Carlen, The Conversation, 3 July 2025

This sees the locusts switch to a more yellow coloration and emit pheromones that attract each other—encouraging group movements and swarm formation. —Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025

Even though they have been referred to as locusts, cicadas are their own family of insect. —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 15 May 2025

Cicadas don't cause the same level of destruction as locusts. —Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French locuste, from Latin locusta

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing locust

• black locust
• desert locust
• honey locust
• locust bean
• seventeen-year locust

Rhymes for locust

• focused
• focussed
• refocused
• unfocused

Kids Definition

locust

noun

lo·​cust ˈlō-kəst 

1

a

: short-horned grasshopper

especially : a grasshopper that often migrates in vast swarms and eats up the plants in its course

b

: cicada

2

a

: any of various trees of the legume family with hard wood

b

: the wood of a locust