Larva

Pronunciation: /ˈlɑrvə/

Definitions of larva

noun a form of an insect or other invertebrate that hatches from an egg and undergoes metamorphosis

Example Sentences

A1 A larva is a young insect.

A2 The larva of a butterfly is called a caterpillar.

B1 The larva undergoes metamorphosis to become an adult insect.

B2 Scientists study the development of larva to understand insect life cycles.

C1 The larva stage is crucial in the life cycle of many insects.

C2 Researchers are investigating the genetic factors that influence larva development.

Examples of larva in a Sentence

formal The larva of the butterfly eventually transforms into a pupa before emerging as an adult.

informal Have you ever seen a larva up close? They're pretty fascinating creatures.

slang Ew, there's a larva crawling on that leaf!

figurative The idea for the new product was just a larva in the CEO's mind before it became a reality.

Grammatical Forms of larva

• past tense: larvae
• plural: larvae
• comparative: more larval
• superlative: most larval
• present tense: larva
• future tense: will larva
• perfect tense: has larva
• continuous tense: is larvaing
• singular: larva
• positive degree: larva
• infinitive: to larva
• gerund: larving
• participle: larved

Origin and Evolution of larva

First Known Use: 1650 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'larva' originated from Latin, where it referred to a ghost or specter.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'larva' shifted to refer to the early stage of development of an insect, before it undergoes metamorphosis into its adult form.