What does locust mean?
Definitions for locust
ˈloʊ kəstlo·cust
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word locust.
Princeton's WordNet
locustnoun
migratory grasshoppers of warm regions having short antennae
locustnoun
hardwood from any of various locust trees
locust tree, locustnoun
any of various hardwood trees of the family Leguminosae
Wiktionary
locustnoun
A type of grasshopper in the family Acrididae that flies in swarms and is very destructive to crops and other vegetation.
locustnoun
A locust tree.
Etymology: From langouste, from locusta.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Locustnoun
The Hebrews had several sorts of locusts, which are not known among us: the old historians and modern travellers remark, that locusts are very numerous in Africk, and many places of Asia; that sometimes they fell like a cloud upon the country, and eat up every thing they meet with. Moses describes four sorts of locusts. Since there was a prohibition against using locusts, it is not to be questioned but that these creatures were commonly eaten in Palestine, and the neighbouring countries. Augustin Calmet
Etymology: locusta, Latin.
To-morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast. Exod.
Air replete with the steams of animals, rotting, has produced pestilential fevers; such have likewise been raised by great quantities of dead locusts. John Arbuthnot, on Air.
Wikipedia
Locust
Locusts (derived from the Latin locusta, meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming gregarious. No taxonomic distinction is made between locust and grasshopper species; the basis for the definition is whether a species forms swarms under intermittently suitable conditions; this has evolved independently in multiple lineages, comprising at least 18 genera in 5 different acridid subfamilies.Normally, these grasshoppers are innocuous, their numbers are low, and they do not pose a major economic threat to agriculture. However, under suitable conditions of drought followed by rapid vegetation growth, serotonin in their brains triggers dramatic changes: they start to breed abundantly, becoming gregarious and nomadic (loosely described as migratory) when their populations become dense enough. They form bands of wingless nymphs that later become swarms of winged adults. Both the bands and the swarms move around, rapidly strip fields, and damage crops. The adults are powerful fliers; they can travel great distances, consuming most of the green vegetation wherever the swarm settles.Locusts have formed plagues since prehistory. The ancient Egyptians carved them on their tombs and the insects are mentioned in the Iliad, the Mahabharata, and the Bible. Swarms have devastated crops and have caused famines and human migrations. More recently, changes in agricultural practices and better surveillance of locust breeding grounds have allowed control measures at an early stage. Traditional locust control uses insecticides from the ground or air, but newer biological control methods are proving effective. Swarming behaviour decreased in the 20th century, but despite modern surveillance and control methods, swarms can still form; when suitable weather conditions occur and vigilance lapses, plagues can occur.Locusts are large insects and convenient for research and classroom study of zoology. They are edible by humans. They have been eaten throughout history and are considered a delicacy in many countries.
ChatGPT
locust
A locust is a type of insect from the family Acrididae that is noted for its swarming behavior. They are usually solitary but can become gregarious and migratory when their population density becomes high. They are often seen as pests because in their swarming phase, they can cause significant damage to agricultural crops. Locusts are found in many parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
Webster Dictionary
Locustnoun
any one of numerous species of long-winged, migratory, orthopterous insects, of the family Acrididae, allied to the grasshoppers; esp., (Edipoda, / Pachytylus, migratoria, and Acridium perigrinum, of Southern Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the United States the related species with similar habits are usually called grasshoppers. See Grasshopper
Locustnoun
the locust tree. See Locust Tree (definition, note, and phrases)
Etymology: [L. locusta locust, grasshopper. Cf. Lobster.]
Wikidata
Locust
Locusts are the swarming phase of certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory when their populations become dense enough. They form bands as nymphs and swarms as adults. Both the bands and the swarms are nomadic and rapidly strip fields and greatly damage crops. The adults are powerful fliers; they can travel great distances, consuming practically all green material wherever the swarm settles. The origin and apparent extinction of certain species of locust—some of which grew to 6 inches in length—are unclear. Locusts are edible insects, and are considered a delicacy in some countries. There have been references to their consumption as food throughout history. On swarming they are known to produce a toxin that renders them inedible and causes a skin reaction in sunlight.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Locust
lō′kust, n. a migratory winged insect, in shape like the grasshopper, highly destructive to vegetation.—v.i. (rare) to lay waste like locusts. [L. locusta.]
Locust
lō′kust, n. a tree with thorny branches and dense clusters of white, heavily-scented flowers, found in the U.S.: the carob-tree.—ns. Locus′ta, the spikelet of grasses:—pl. Locus′tæ; Lō′cust-bean, the sweet pod of the carob-tree.
Suggested Resources
locust
Song lyrics by locust -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by locust on the Lyrics.com website.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
LOCUST
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Locust is ranked #36525 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Locust surname appeared 612 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Locust.
41.5% or 254 total occurrences were Black.
35.7% or 219 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
10.1% or 62 total occurrences were White.
7.5% or 46 total occurrences were of two or more races.
5% or 31 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Anagrams for locust »
clouts
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of locust in Chaldean Numerology is: 8
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of locust in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of locust in a Sentence
Australian wildfires -- the rain was held back. Africa - locust plague. World pandemic -- Covid-19.
The locust uses mechanical energy in addition to its muscle force in order to generate a jump and this is exactly what we are imitating...We are using a tiny motor that generates, or stores mechanical energy, and this mechanical energy in springs is actually very similar to the locust legs is what propels the robot into the air.
Despite the unprecedented scale of the locust attack, we haven't seen any major crop loss, but we've got a very short window to tackle the problem. Otherwise, we won't be able to save our summer crops.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for locust
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- جرادةArabic
- çəyirtkəAzerbaijani
- саранчук, саранчаBelarusian
- скакалецBulgarian
- ཚ་ག་བ་Tibetan Standard
- llagostaCatalan, Valencian
- sarančeCzech
- vandregræshoppeDanish
- HeuschreckeGerman
- ακρίδαGreek
- langostaSpanish
- rändtirtsEstonian
- kulkusirkkaFinnish
- criquet, locusteFrench
- fàraHausa
- אַרְבֶּה, חָגָבHebrew
- sáskaHungarian
- մորեխArmenian
- locusteInterlingue
- lokustoIdo
- locustaItalian
- イナゴ, 飛蝗Japanese
- ಮಿಡತೆKannada
- 메뚜기Korean
- skėrysLithuanian
- ġuratMaltese
- treksprinkhaan, sprinkhaanDutch
- gresshoppeNorwegian
- wóóneeshchʼįįdii nahachaʼígíí, wóóneeshchʼįįdiiNavajo, Navaho
- szarańczaPolish
- gafanhotoPortuguese
- lăcustăRomanian
- саранча́, саранчу́кRussian
- скакавац, cvrčak, zrikavac, skakavac, зрикавац, цврчакSerbo-Croatian
- sarančaSlovak
- kobilicaSlovene
- gräshoppaSwedish
- nzigeSwahili
- வெட்டுக்கிளிTamil
- మిడుతTelugu
- balangTagalog
- tsieTswana
- çekirgeTurkish
- сарана́Ukrainian
- con châu chấuVietnamese
- njéeréerWolof
- 刺槐Chinese
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