cicada
UK[sɪˈkɑːdə]US[sɪˈkeɪdə]
n
a large insect with transparent wings, known for the loud, continuous high-pitched sound the male makes in hot weather
Etymology
The word 'cicada' was borrowed directly into English from Latin 'cicada', meaning 'tree cricket'. The Latin term is believed to be onomatopoeic in origin, imitating the insect's characteristic chirping or buzzing sound. This imitative root is shared with related words in other languages, such as Greek 'tettix'. The word entered English in the late 14th century, retaining its core reference to the loud, singing insect, a meaning perfectly aligned with its sound-symbolic beginnings.
Analysis
The word 'cicada' is a simplex loanword from Latin. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The summer air was filled with the relentless drone of the cicada.
A cicada shell was clinging to the bark of the old oak tree.
After spending years underground, the cicada emerges for a brief, noisy adult life.