Definition

Noun: 1. Locust: A type of insect belonging to the order Orthoptera, often characterized by long hind legs for jumping and sometimes forming large, destructive swarms. It is similar to a grasshopper but often refers to specific short-horned species in the family Acrididae. 2. (In broader, common usage) Grasshopper: In everyday Vietnamese, "cào cào" is frequently used to refer to various grasshoppers and locusts, especially those with a pointed head, as distinguished in folk poetry and sayings.

Usage Examples

• The field was full of jumping among the rice plants.
• In some years, swarms of can devastate crops.
• Children often catch to play with or to feed to poultry.

Advanced Usage

• "cào cào giã gạo": A phrase from a famous folk couplet ("Cào cào giã gạo bà xem, bà may áo đỏ, áo đen cho cào"), used to evoke a rustic, pastoral image or to refer to the insect itself in a poetic context. It translates literally to "the locust pounds rice for you to watch," highlighting its rhythmic movement.

Variants and Related Words

• Châu chấu (noun): Another common term for grasshopper or locust. While "cào cào" and "châu chấu" are often used interchangeably in casual speech, some distinctions are made in zoology or regional dialects, with "cào cào" sometimes specifying insects with a more pointed head.
• Acrididae (noun): The scientific family name for short-horned grasshoppers and locusts, which includes the insect referred to as "cào cào".

Synonyms

• Grasshopper: A general term for herbivorous insects of the suborder Caelifera, known for their jumping ability.
• Locust: Specifically refers to certain species of grasshoppers that can change behavior and form massive, migratory swarms.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Như cào cào gặp mưa rào: (To flee/disperse) "Like locusts encountering a rain shower." This idiom describes a situation where a group of people or things scatters quickly and in disarray.

noun

1. Locust