larva

[lahr-vuh]

noun, plural lar·vae [lahr-vee] /ˈlɑr vi/.

Entomology. the immature, wingless, feeding stage of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis.

any animal in an analogous immature form.

the young of any invertebrate animal.

larvae, Roman Antiquity. malignant ghosts, as lemures.

Origin of larva

1645–55; < New Latin; special use of Latin larva a ghost, specter, mask, skeleton; akin to Lares

Can be confusedlarva lava

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for larvae

grub, worm, canker, butterfly, moth, tractor, larva, bug

Examples from the Web for larvae

Contemporary Examples of larvae

Jellyfish eat the eggs and larvae of other species higher on the food chain, as well as the plankton that those larvae would eat.
Beware at the Beach, the Jellyfish Rule the Seas and It’s Our Fault
Lisa-ann Gershwin
June 20, 2013
The sago palm weevil, a type of beetle, is eaten, roasted or raw, as a larvae in Southeast Asia.
Cicadas, Grasshoppers, Locusts, Ants Among the Tastiest Insects
Nina Strochlic
May 14, 2013
The larvae produce parasitic worms that can enter the human body and take up residence for as long as 14 years.
Necrotizing Fasciitis, Blinding Larvae & More Scary Diseases
Casey Schwartz
May 18, 2012

Historical Examples of larvae

Corpus adiposum: the mass of fat tissue often found in larvae.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
Homomorpha: insects in which the larvae resemble the adults.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
Limaciform: having the form of a Limax or slug; said of larvae.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
Scutes: the chitinous shields or plates on the segments of larvae.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
Tentacular -um: retractile processes on the larvae of Lepidoptera.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for larvae

larva

noun plural -vae (-viː)

an immature free-living form of many animals that develops into a different adult form by metamorphosis

Derived Formslarval, adjective

Word Origin for larva

C18: (C17 in the original Latin sense: ghost): New Latin

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

Word Origin and History for larvae

plural of larva (q.v.).

larva

1650s, "a ghost, specter," from Latin larva (plural larvae), earlier larua "ghost," also "mask;" applied in biological sense 1768 by Linnaeus because immature forms of insects "mask" the adult forms. On the double sense of the Latin word, Carlo Ginzburg, among other students of mythology and folklore, has commented on "the well-nigh universal association between masks and the spirits of the dead."

larvae in Medicine

larva

[lär′və]

n. pl. lar•vas

The newly hatched, wingless, often wormlike form of many insects before metamorphosis.

The newly hatched, earliest stage of any of various animals that undergo metamorphosis, differing markedly in form and appearance from the adult.

Related formslar′val adj.

larvae in Science

larva

[lär′və]

Plural larvae (lär′vē) larvas

An animal in an early stage of development that differs greatly in appearance from its adult stage. Larvae are adapted to a different environment and way of life from those of adults and go through a process of metamorphosis in changing to adults. Tadpoles are the larvae of frogs and toads.

The immature, wingless, and usually wormlike feeding form of those insects that undergo three stages of metamorphosis, such as butterflies, moths, and beetles. Insect larvae hatch from eggs, later turn into pupae, and finally turn into adults. Compare imago nymph pupa.