plural larvae
ˈlär-(ˌ)vē 
-ˌvī
also larvas
-ˌvī
also larvas
1
: the immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis (see chrysalis sense 1a) from which the adult emerges
2
: the early form of an animal (such as a frog or sea urchin) that at birth or hatching is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose before assuming the adult characters
Examples of larva in a Sentence
The larva of a butterfly is called a caterpillar.
the larva looked ugly, but it was destined to hatch into a beautiful butterfly
Recent Examples on the Web
So what exactly did this larva look like on the outside and inside?
—
Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 11 Aug. 2024
Yang Jie / Zhang Xiguang Around half a billion years ago, in what is now the Yunnan Province of China, a tiny larva was trapped in mud.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 11 Aug. 2024
The Government Highline Canal, where the first larva was found, provides irrigation water to more than 23,000 acres of farmland in the Grand Valley.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 18 July 2024
In the game, one player is the ant and wasp, the other player is the beetle larva and adult.
—Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for larva 
Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 11 Aug. 2024
Yang Jie / Zhang Xiguang Around half a billion years ago, in what is now the Yunnan Province of China, a tiny larva was trapped in mud.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 11 Aug. 2024
The Government Highline Canal, where the first larva was found, provides irrigation water to more than 23,000 acres of farmland in the Grand Valley.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 18 July 2024
In the game, one player is the ant and wasp, the other player is the beetle larva and adult.
—Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for larva
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'larva.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near larva
Cite this Entry
“Larva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/larva. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
larva
noun
lar·va
ˈlär-və
plural larvae
-(ˌ)vē
-ˌvī
also larvas
1
: a young wingless often wormlike form (as a grub or caterpillar) that hatches from the egg of many insects
2
: an early form of any animal that at birth or hatching is very different from its parents
the tadpole is the larva of the frog
Medical Definition
larva
noun
lar·va
ˈlär-və
1
: the immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis from which the adult emerges
2
: the early form of an animal (as a frog) that at birth or hatching is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose before assuming the adult characters
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