periodical cicada
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of periodical cicada
First recorded in 1885–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The U.S., where there are both annual and periodical cicada swarms, tends to take a more laissez-faire approach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Also notable is that all seven periodical cicada species—broods contain multiple species—will be out in the same year.
From Slate ● Apr. 14, 2024
The research team says this is one of only a few studies that has explored the indirect effects of periodical cicada emergence events on forest food webs.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2023
These images help scientists determine trends in periodical cicada populations, according to Gene Kritsky, a professor emeritus at Mount St. Joseph University in Ohio who helped create the app.
From National Geographic ● Sep. 5, 2023
This level of second-round competitiveness is kind of like the NBA’s version of the periodical cicada, minus the creepiness.
From Washington Post ● May 11, 2022
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.
