Definition

Noun: 1. The immature, free-living stage of an animal: A larva is the early form of many animals, especially invertebrates, amphibians, and fish, that emerges from an egg. It often looks and behaves very differently from the adult form and must undergo a significant change (metamorphosis) to become an adult.

Usage

The word "larva" is used to describe a distinct, typically active, developmental stage in the life cycle of many animals. It is a standard term in biology and zoology. - The plural form is larvae (pronounced /ˈlɑːrviː/ or /ˈlɑːrvaɪ/). - It is a countable noun.

Examples

• The larva of a butterfly is called a caterpillar.
• After hatching, the tadpole is the aquatic larva of a frog.
• Many insects spend more time as a larva than as an adult.
• Marine biologists study the larvae of various fish species.

Advanced Usage

• Larval (adjective): Relating to or in the stage of being a larva.
  • The larval stage of the mosquito lives in water.
• In a figurative sense, "larva" can sometimes be used to describe an early or undeveloped form of something.
  • The idea was still in its larval stage, not yet fully formed.

Variants and Related Words

• Larvae (n): Plural form of larva.
• Larval (adj): Of or relating to a larva.
• Larvicide (n): A substance used to kill larvae (e.g., mosquito larvae).
• Larviparous (adj): Giving birth to live larvae (instead of laying eggs).

Synonyms

• Grub: Often used for the larva of beetles.
• Maggot: Often used for the larva of flies.
• Caterpillar: The larva of butterflies and moths.
• Tadpole: The larva of frogs and toads.
• Nymph: In some insects (e.g., grasshoppers), a young form that resembles the adult but is smaller and not sexually mature. (This is distinct from a true larva, which looks very different from the adult.)

Idioms and Phrases

There are no common idioms that use the word "larva" as the core component. It is primarily a scientific term.

Noun

1. the immature free-living form of most invertebrates and amphibians and fish which at hatching from the egg is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose