larva

One entry found for larva.

Main Entry: lar·va
Pronunciation: 'lär-v&
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural lar·vae /-(")vE, -"vI /; also larvas
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, specter, mask; akin to Latin lar Lar
1 : the immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis from which the adult emerges
2 : the early form of an animal (as a frog or sea urchin) that at birth or hatching is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose before assuming the adult characters
- lar·val /-v&l/ adjective