cicada

/sɪˈkeɪdə/

/sɪˈkeɪdə/

Other forms: cicadas; cicadae

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."

Definitions of cicada

1. noun

   stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings; male has drum-like organs for producing a high-pitched drone
   synonyms: cicala

   types:

   dog-day cicada, harvest fly

   its distinctive song is heard during July and August

   Magicicada septendecim, periodical cicada, seventeen-year locust

   North American cicada; appears in great numbers at infrequent intervals because the nymphs take 13 to 17 years to mature

   type of:

   homopteran, homopterous insect

   insects having membranous forewings and hind wings