Definition of locust
1 : short-horned grasshopper; especially : a migratory grasshopper often traveling in vast swarms and stripping the areas passed of all vegetation
2 : cicada
3a : any of various leguminous trees: such as (1) : carob 1 (2) : black locust (3) : honey locustb : the wood of a locust tree
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Recent Examples of locust from the Web
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Looking back up toward the meadow, through the burgundy foliage of Japanese maples, the laciness of golden locust and past the snowy bracts of dogwood (Cornus kousa x C. nuttallii ‘Venus’ and Cornus ‘
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Honey locusts, rarely found in the Northeast, are found in great numbers on the streets of Manhattan.
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The trials of pests like locusts and weevils, though, reached a comic absurdity that’s likely unequaled in European history.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'locust'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of locust
Middle English, from Anglo-French locuste, from Latin locusta
LOCUST Defined for English Language Learners
locust
playDefinition of locust for English Language Learners
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: a type of grasshopper that travels in very large groups and that can cause great destruction by eating crops
LOCUST Defined for Kids
Learn More about locust
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Spanish Central: Translation of locust Nglish: Translation of locust for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of locust for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about locust
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