cicada

[ si-key-duh, -kah- ]
/ sɪˈkeɪ də, -ˈkɑ- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR cicada ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ci·ca·das, ci·ca·dae [si-key-dee, -kah-] /sɪˈkeɪ di, -ˈkɑ-/.

any large homopterous insect of the family Cicadidae, the male of which produces a shrill sound by means of vibrating membranes on the underside of the abdomen.

Origin of cicada

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cicāda

Words nearby cicada

cib., cibarium, cibber, ciborium, cica, cicada, cicada killer, cicala, cicatrectomy, cicatricial alopecia, cicatricial horn

Content related to cicada

Words To Remember Every 13 Years Do you hear that call of the wild that occurs every 13 years? You can only answer it if you're a cicada, but at least you can learn more about cicadas here.
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Words related to cicada

grasshopper, cicala

Example sentences from the Web for cicada

British Dictionary definitions for cicada

cicada

cicala

/ (sɪˈkɑːdə) /

noun plural -das, -dae (-diː), -las or -le (-leɪ)

any large broad insect of the homopterous family Cicadidae, most common in warm regions. Cicadas have membranous wings and the males produce a high-pitched drone by vibration of a pair of drumlike abdominal organs

Word Origin for cicada

C19: from Latin