larvanoun [ C ]
uk/ˈlɑː.və/us/ˈlɑːr.və/plural larvae uk/-viː/usa form of an insect or an animal such as a frog that has left its egg but is not yet completely developed
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
The development & parts of insects
- antenna
- caterpillar
- chrysalis
- cocoon
- egg
- feeler
- grub
- maggot
- nit
- proboscis
- pupa
- silkworm
- thoracic
- woodworm
- worm
larval
adjective uk/ˈlɑː.vəl/us/ˈlɑːr.vəl/
Examples from literature
- If it hears insects moving inside the tree, it gnaws the tree with its big teeth until it gets to the larvae.
- It can hear insect larvae move four meters inside the tree!
- The aye-aye eats insect larvae.