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seventeen-year locust

[ sev-uh n-teen-yeer ]
/ ˈsɛv ənˈtinˌyɪər /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR seventeen-year locust ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

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RELATED WORDS

cicada, cicala

Nearby words

  1. sevener,
  2. sevenfold,
  3. sevenpenny,
  4. sevens,
  5. seventeen,
  6. seventeenth,
  7. seventeenth amendment,
  8. seventh,
  9. seventh amendment,
  10. seventh avenue

Origin of seventeen-year locust

First recorded in 1810–20
Also called periodical cicada.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for seventeen-year locust

seventeen-year locust

noun

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