larva

noun

lar·​va ˈlär-və How to pronounce larva (audio)
plural larvae ˈlär-(ˌ)vē How to pronounce larva (audio) -ˌvī How to pronounce larva (audio) also larvas
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 (see chrysalis sense 1a) from which the adult emerges
2
: the early form of an animal (such as a frog or sea urchin) that at birth or hatching is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose before assuming the adult characters
larval adjective

Examples of larva in a Sentence

The larva of a butterfly is called a caterpillar. the larva looked ugly, but it was destined to hatch into a beautiful butterfly
Recent Examples on the Web So what exactly did this larva look like on the outside and inside? Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 11 Aug. 2024 Yang Jie / Zhang Xiguang Around half a billion years ago, in what is now the Yunnan Province of China, a tiny larva was trapped in mud. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 11 Aug. 2024 The Government Highline Canal, where the first larva was found, provides irrigation water to more than 23,000 acres of farmland in the Grand Valley. Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 18 July 2024 In the game, one player is the ant and wasp, the other player is the beetle larva and adult. Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for larva 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'larva.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, going back to Latin lārva "evil spirit, demon" (applied also to a frightening mask and a puppet in the form of a skeleton), of uncertain origin

Note: Regarding its use in biology, see the note at imago. Regarding the Latin etymology see the note at lar.

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of larva was in 1768

Dictionary Entries Near larva

Cite this Entry

“Larva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/larva. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

larva

noun
lar·​va ˈlär-və How to pronounce larva (audio)
plural larvae -(ˌ)vē How to pronounce larva (audio)
-ˌvī
also larvas
1
: a young wingless often wormlike form (as a grub or caterpillar) that hatches from the egg of many insects
2
: an early form of any animal that at birth or hatching is very different from its parents
the tadpole is the larva of the frog
larval adjective

Medical Definition

larva

noun
lar·​va ˈlär-və How to pronounce larva (audio)
plural larvae -(ˌ)vē How to pronounce larva (audio) -ˌvī How to pronounce larva (audio) also larvas
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) that at birth or hatching is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose before assuming the adult characters
larval adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on larva

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