1
: short-horned grasshopper
especially
: a migratory grasshopper often traveling in vast swarms and stripping the areas passed of all vegetation
2
: cicada
3
a
: any of various leguminous trees: such as
(1)
(2)
(3)
b
: the wood of a locust tree
Examples of locust in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Warned by ornithologists that killing an insectivorous bird that also ate grain seeds would lead to a surge in locusts and caterpillars, Mao dismissed such arguments and urged mass slaughter.
—
Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
As black clouds and swarms of locusts descend upon the town of South Park, Jesus arrives at Red's house and orders Satan to leave.
—Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2025
In their narratives, the enemies of the peasants extended beyond locusts, fires, and snow.
—Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 8 Aug. 2025
For example, humongous locusts setting things on fire were completely ridiculous.
—Lauren Uppal, Mercury News, 22 July 2025
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Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
As black clouds and swarms of locusts descend upon the town of South Park, Jesus arrives at Red's house and orders Satan to leave.
—Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2025
In their narratives, the enemies of the peasants extended beyond locusts, fires, and snow.
—Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 8 Aug. 2025
For example, humongous locusts setting things on fire were completely ridiculous.
—Lauren Uppal, Mercury News, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for locust
Cite this Entry
“Locust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/locust. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
locust
noun
lo·cust
ˈlō-kəst 
1
a
: short-horned grasshopper
especially
: a grasshopper that often migrates in vast swarms and eats up the plants in its course
b
: cicada
2
a
: any of various trees of the legume family with hard wood
b
: the wood of a locust
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