locust

/ˈloʊkəst/

/ˈlʌʊkəst/

Other forms: locusts

A locust is a type of grasshopper that goes through a phase of its life when it joins an enormous group of locusts. A swarm of locusts can devastate farm crops and affect food supplies.

Locusts aren't a separate species from grasshoppers — instead, locust is what scientists rename a grasshopper that's changed its habitat and behavior dramatically. Locusts arise from specific environmental conditions, usually drought followed by fast plant growth. Normally solitary grasshoppers become gregarious, banding together, and even changing their size and color. Swarms of locusts can fly long distances, landing en masse to devour vegetation. The Latin root of locust, locusta, also means "lobster."

Definitions of locust

1. noun

   migratory grasshoppers of warm regions having short antennae
   types:

   Locusta migratoria, migratory locust

   Old World locust that travels in vast swarms stripping large areas of vegetation

   migratory grasshopper

   serious pest of grain-growing and range areas of central and western United States

   type of:

   acridid, short-horned grasshopper

   grasshopper with short antennae
2. noun

   any of various hardwood trees of the family Leguminosae
   synonyms: locust tree

   types:

   Hymenaea courbaril, courbaril

   West Indian locust tree having pinnate leaves and panicles of large white or purplish flowers; yields very hard tough wood

   Gleditsia aquatica, swamp locust, water locust

   honey locust of swamps and bottomlands of southern United States having short oval pods; yields dark heavy wood

   Gleditsia triacanthos, honey locust

   tall usually spiny North American tree having small greenish-white flowers in drooping racemes followed by long twisting seed pods; yields very hard durable reddish-brown wood; introduced to temperate Old World

   Robinia pseudoacacia, black locust, yellow locust

   large thorny tree of eastern and central United States having pinnately compound leaves and drooping racemes of white flowers; widely naturalized in many varieties in temperate regions

   Robinia viscosa, clammy locust

   small rough-barked locust of southeastern United States having racemes of pink flowers and glutinous branches and seeds

   type of:

   tree

   a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
3. noun

   hardwood from any of various locust trees
   type of:

   wood

   the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees