locust

locust — noun

1. A plant-eating creature related to grasshoppers, found in warm regions of the wo

1.nounB1
Definition

A plant-eating creature related to grasshoppers, found in warm regions of the world, that forms enormous swarms which strip fields of crops and other plants.

Example

A swarm of locusts destroyed the wheat fields in Kenya last summer.

collocation: swarm of locusts

Farmers used drones to track where the locusts were moving across the plain.

Common collocations
  • a swarm of locusts
  • a plague of locusts
  • locust infestation
  • locust attack
  • locust numbers
Synonyms
  • grasshopper

    Grasshopper is the broader category; 'locust' refers specifically to certain grasshopper species that change behaviour and form swarms under crowded conditions.

Grammar Patterns

plural noun (locusts) when referring to the insects as a group

attributive noun before another noun (locust plague, locust swarm)

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form 'locusts' when referring to the insects collectively as a swarm or population. The singular can be used attributively before another noun (e.g. 'locust plague', 'locust swarm'). The phrase 'a plague of locusts' is a common biblical and historical reference.

Common Mistakes

I saw a locust in my backyard in Ohio.
I saw a grasshopper in my backyard in Ohio.
True locusts are found mainly in warm or tropical regions and swarm in large groups; most solitary hopping insects in temperate areas are grasshoppers, not locusts.

2. A fast-growing hardwood tree from the legume family, such as the black locust or

2.nounB2
Definition

A fast-growing hardwood tree from the legume family, such as the black locust or honey locust, often planted for timber, fence posts, or shade.

Example

The garden was shaded by a large locust tree with feathery leaves.

collocation: locust tree

Hamza planted a row of locust trees along the driveway for quick shade.

Common collocations
  • locust tree
  • black locust
  • honey locust
  • locust grove

Grammar Patterns

often used with a modifier: black locust, honey locust

can be used as an attributive noun: locust tree

Usage Note

The term 'locust tree' covers several species (black locust, honey locust) from the legume family (Fabaceae). All share compound leaves and produce hard, durable wood. The tree is unrelated to the insect of the same name.

3. The strong, durable timber obtained from locust trees, valued for outdoor use su

3.nounC1
Definition

The strong, durable timber obtained from locust trees, valued for outdoor use such as fencing, decking, and garden furniture because it resists decay naturally.

Example

The carpenter chose locust for the outdoor bench because it lasts for decades.

material use: locust for [object]

Fence posts made of locust resist rot for over twenty years without treatment.

Common collocations
  • locust wood
  • locust timber
  • locust lumber
  • locust fence post

Grammar Patterns

used as a material noun: made of locust

used attributively: locust lumber, locust posts

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three are insects, but they differ in behaviour and context. A locust is a type of grasshopper that changes colour, behaviour, and body shape when crowded, forming massive swarms that destroy crops. A grasshopper is the more general term for solitary, plant-eating insects with long hind legs for jumping, found in fields worldwide. A cicada is a larger insect known for its loud buzzing sound made by males in summer; it does not swarm or damage crops. A cricket is a nocturnal insect often recognized by its chirping at night, usually harmless to vegetation. For example, you would say 'a plague of locusts wiped out the harvest' but 'I heard crickets singing in the garden' or 'cicadas buzzed in the trees all afternoon'.

grasshoppercicadacricket ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • plague of locusts

Prepositions

  • of locusts — e.g. a swarm of locusts
  • made of locust — e.g. fence posts made of locust

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'locust' comes from Latin 'locusta', which originally meant both 'lobster' and 'grasshopper'. It entered English through Old French 'locuste' in the 13th century. The use for the tree (sense 2) arose because the tree's seed pods were thought to resemble locust insects, and the biblical story of John the Baptist eating locusts in the wilderness was sometimes associated with the tree's pods.