locust

American  

[loh-kuhst] / ˈloʊ kəst /

noun

1. Also called acridid, short-horned grasshopper.  any of several grasshoppers of the family Acrididae, having short antennae and commonly migrating in swarms that strip the vegetation from large areas.

2. any of various cicadas, as the seventeen-year locust.

3. any of several North American trees belonging to the genus Robinia, of the legume family, especially R. pseudoacacia, having pinnate leaves and clusters of fragrant white flowers.

4. the durable wood of this tree.

5. any of various other trees, as the carob and the honey locust.

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locust British  

/ ˈləʊkəst /

noun

1. any of numerous orthopterous insects of the genera Locusta, Melanoplus, etc, such as L. migratoria, of warm and tropical regions of the Old World, which travel in vast swarms, stripping large areas of vegetation See also grasshopper Compare seventeen-year locust

2. Also called: locust tree.   false acacia.  a North American leguminous tree, Robinia pseudoacacia, having prickly branches, hanging clusters of white fragrant flowers, and reddish-brown seed pods

3. the yellowish durable wood of this tree

4. any of several similar trees, such as the honey locust and carob

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Other Word Forms

• locust-like adjective
• locustlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of locust

1150–1200; Middle English < Latin locusta grasshopper

Example Sentences

I also love locust blooms, but I know of only one house near me that has locust trees.

From Los Angeles Times

In contrast, locusts prefer carbon-rich plants, so rising carbon dioxide levels could cause increases in locust outbreaks.

From Salon

The locusts occur in two phases: as solitary animals and in swarms.

From Science Daily

Because of displacement and climate change, families have resorted to “bad coping mechanisms like eating leaves and locusts just to survive,” Ejem said.

From Seattle Times

A study published earlier this year found that over 3,000 ethnic groups across 128 countries eat 2,205 species of Insecta, with everything from caterpillars to locusts appearing in dishes of every description.

From Salon

Related Words

• grasshopper