locust
/'loukəst/
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of insect: A locust is a type of large, migratory grasshopper, typically found in warm regions, known for forming massive swarms that can cause significant agricultural damage by devouring crops.
- A type of tree: A locust is also any of several hardwood trees belonging to the legume family (Leguminosae), known for their durable wood and often fragrant flowers.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Insect):
- A swarm of locusts devastated the farmers' fields.
- The biblical plague involved locusts covering the land.
- Noun (Tree):
- The black locust is a common species in North America.
- They built the fence from durable locust wood.
Advanced Usage
- Figurative use for a destructive force or a voracious consumer: The word can be used metaphorically to describe a person or thing that consumes or destroys resources greedily.
- The invading army was like a plague of locusts, stripping the countryside bare.
- He ate his dinner like a locust, leaving nothing for anyone else.
Variants and Related Words
- Locust tree: A more specific term for the tree species.
- The honey locust tree has long seed pods.
- Locust bean: Refers to the edible seed pod of the carob tree (sometimes called locust).
- Locust bean gum is used as a food thickener.
Synonyms
- For the insect: Migratory grasshopper, swarm grasshopper.
- For a destructive consumer: Devourer, scourge, plague.
Related Phrases
- A plague of locusts: An idiom referring to a devastating infestation, often used hyperbolically to describe any overwhelming destructive force.
- The paperwork descended on his desk like a plague of locusts.
Noun
-
any of various hardwood trees of the family Leguminosae
-
hardwood from any of various locust trees
-
migratory grasshoppers of warm regions having short antennae
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ chứa "locust"
Từ có nhắc đến "locust"
