locust
noun
lo·cust ˈlō-kəst 
1
: short-horned grasshopper
especially : a migratory grasshopper often traveling in vast swarms and stripping the areas passed of all vegetation
2
: cicada
3
a
: any of various leguminous trees: such as
(1)
: carob sense 1
(2)
: black locust
(3)
: honey locust
b
: the wood of a locust tree
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web There’s even a mutant locust plague that recalls … The Swarm?! 
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 June 2022 Meanwhile, continuous dry weather has also contributed to Sardinia’s worst locust invasion in three decades. Rhoda Kwan, NBC News, 14 July 2022 The mature honey-locust tree which shades the yard outside my studio compelled me to capture the droop and drift of its leaves. Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 27 June 2022 The region is also grappling with political instability, locust infestations, and the economic fallout of the covid-19 pandemic, undermining its ability to cope with the drought. Priya Sippy, Quartz, 28 Apr. 2022 The locust problem is an excuse to bring back Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill). Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 June 2022 Unfortunately, their plotline mostly revolves around the locust conspiracy, and every attempt at charming banter comes off as more than a little forced. David Sims, The Atlantic, 8 June 2022 Naturalist John James Audubon, namesake of the Audubon Society, saw a few in the 1800s and compared them to a locust invasion. John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Mar. 2022 Britain Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Monday, painting a bleak picture of a warming world, which could see Miami, Shanghai and Alexandria, Egypt, disappear under rising seas and locust swarms devour crops in the searing heat. Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2021 See More
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 June 2022 Meanwhile, continuous dry weather has also contributed to Sardinia’s worst locust invasion in three decades. Rhoda Kwan, NBC News, 14 July 2022 The mature honey-locust tree which shades the yard outside my studio compelled me to capture the droop and drift of its leaves. Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 27 June 2022 The region is also grappling with political instability, locust infestations, and the economic fallout of the covid-19 pandemic, undermining its ability to cope with the drought. Priya Sippy, Quartz, 28 Apr. 2022 The locust problem is an excuse to bring back Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill). Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 June 2022 Unfortunately, their plotline mostly revolves around the locust conspiracy, and every attempt at charming banter comes off as more than a little forced. David Sims, The Atlantic, 8 June 2022 Naturalist John James Audubon, namesake of the Audubon Society, saw a few in the 1800s and compared them to a locust invasion. John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Mar. 2022 Britain Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Monday, painting a bleak picture of a warming world, which could see Miami, Shanghai and Alexandria, Egypt, disappear under rising seas and locust swarms devour crops in the searing heat. Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French locuste, from Latin locusta
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing locust
Kids Definition
locust
noun
lo·cust ˈlō-kəst
1
: a grasshopper that moves in huge swarms and eats up the plants in its path
2
: cicada
3
: a tree with hard wood, leaves with many leaflets, and drooping flower clusters