Locust

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈləʊ.kəst/

Definitions

1. A large grasshopper that forms destructive swarms and migrates across wide areas, or a tree with compound leaves and hard wood used for lumber
2. A migratory grasshopper that devastates crops in massive swarms | a hardwood tree with pinnate foliage used in construction
3. An insect that undergoes population explosions and strips vegetation across regions | timber-yielding tree with segmented leaves

Etymology: The word "locust" entered English in the 13th century, borrowed directly from Old French "locuste," which in turn came from Latin "locusta." The Latin term originally referred to a type of crustacean or shellfish, likely a lobster or crayfish, before it was applied to the swarming insect we know today. The ultimate origin of the Latin word remains uncertain, though some scholars propose a connection to an Italic or Mediterranean language, but no definitive proto-root has been established. The semantic shift from crustacean to insect occurred in Latin itself, probably because of a perceived resemblance between the two creatures, or because the term was simply extended to describe a new or unfamiliar pest. By the time the word reached Old French and then English, "locust" referred unambiguously to the grasshopper-like insect known for devastating crop swarms. This usage is evident in English texts from at least the 13th century onward, where locusts appear in religious and agricultural contexts, including references to the plagues of locusts in biblical translations. The verb form of "locust" is much later and far less common. It emerged in the 20th century as a back-formation or denominative verb, meaning to swarm or spread like locusts, or to strip or devastate in the manner of a locust plague. This usage remains marginal in English and is seldom encountered outside of specialized or literary contexts.

Synonyms: grasshopper, cricket