noun
locust
LOH-kuhst/ˈləʊkəst/
A grasshopper that can form large swarms and destroy crops.
A swarm of locusts strips the farmer's fields of green leaves.
Etymology
Latin locusta named both the insect and a lobster-like crustacean. One historical account explains the insect sense through resemblance in shape to the crustacean; the Latin word's deeper origin is unknown.
In context
the elimination of the sparrows had caused locust populations to rapidly grow with them eating through much of the crop
More examples
- A locust rests on a stalk of wheat.
- Farmers watch for locusts before planting their crops.
- The locust swarm darkens the sky above the village.
Forms
locust · locusts
Similar words
- grasshopper
- Names the broader insect group, not specifically its swarming members.