lar·va
larva
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- pronunciation:
- lar
v
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: |
noun |
inflections: |
larvae |
definition: |
A larva is an insect after it hatches from an egg and before it changes into its adult form. When we talk about more than one "larva," we use the word "larvae." (It's pronounced "LAR VEE.") Larvae do not have wings, and they look like worms. Most kinds of insects spend part of their lives as larvae.
Caterpillars are larvae that turn into butterflies or moths.
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derivation: |
larval (adj.) |
Larva is a Latin word that means "mask" or "ghost." The Swedish botanist Linnaeus gave this Latin word a scientific sense in 1768. He chose this word because, in its larva stage, the true, adult form of the insect is masked.