Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

seventeen-year locust

American  
[sev-uhn-teen-yeer] / ˈsɛv ənˈtinˌyɪər /

noun

  1. 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.

seventeen-year locust British  

noun

  1. Also called: periodical cicada.  an E North American cicada, Magicicada septendecim, appearing in great numbers at infrequent intervals because its nymphs take 13 or 17 years to mature

"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

Etymology

Origin of seventeen-year locust

First recorded in 1810–20

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.