larva
larva Lexical Profile
larva Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The active, immature, wingless feeding form of an insect or other animal that undergoes metamorphosis (such as a caterpillar, grub, maggot, or tadpole), differing markedly in appearance from the adult stage before transforming into a pupa or adult.
"After hatching from its tiny egg on the underside of the milkweed leaf, the monarch butterfly larva spent two weeks feeding voraciously before forming a chrysalis."
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, a restless, malevolent ghost or spirit of a wicked deceased person believed to wander the earth and torment the living.
"In Roman folklore, a larva was feared as a vengeful specter that brought madness or misfortune upon households that failed to perform proper funerary rites."
Word Nuance & Usage
The standard plural in scientific and formal contexts is 'larvae' (pronounced /ˈlɑːrviː/ or /ˈlɑːrveɪ/), though 'larvas' is occasionally encountered in informal usage.
• Rhymes for larva
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Latin 'larva', originally meaning 'ghost, evil spirit, or mask'. The Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus adopted the term in the 18th century to describe the immature stage of an insect because it 'masks' or conceals the adult form that will eventually emerge.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.