cicada

American  

[si-key-duh, -kah-] / sɪˈkeɪ də, -ˈkɑ- /

noun

plural

cicadas, cicadae

1. any large homopterous insect of the family Cicadidae, the male of which produces a shrill sound by means of vibrating membranes on the underside of the abdomen.

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cicada British  

/ sɪˈkɑːdə /

noun

1. any large broad insect of the homopterous family Cicadidae, most common in warm regions. Cicadas have membranous wings and the males produce a high-pitched drone by vibration of a pair of drumlike abdominal organs

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Etymology

Origin of cicada

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cicāda

Explanation

A cicada is a large, winged insect that makes a distinctive vibrating sound. You might hear hundreds of male cicadas singing loudly on a summer night. Cicadas are often confused with locusts, which are a similar size, a little under two inches long, but are unrelated to cicadas. Depending on the species, cicadas live underground for anywhere from two to seventeen years before emerging for a few weeks of adulthood. Beyond their loud summer buzz, cicadas have a deep cultural history: Their discarded shells are a staple in traditional Chinese medicine, and they’ve been a popular food source from ancient Greece to modern-day Appalachia, where locals affectionately call them "jarflies."

Example Sentences

Look, for instance, for a conductor with a clock as a face, dancing luggage and a cicada jug band, among a host of other oddities.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

In Costa Rica, a rufous-vented ground cuckoo snatches a cicada fleeing an army ant swarm.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The bloody stain of the cicada on the artwork proves to be excellent foreshadowing of where the film is headed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

“Most trees and shrubs will bounce back from cicada damage just fine,” he said.

From New York Times • Jun. 2, 2024

The sound of the cicada only served to underline the enormous silence.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Related Words

• grasshopper