ˈlōkəst noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin locusta locust, lobster; perhaps akin to Latin lacertus muscle — more at leg
1. : a grasshopper of the family Acrididae ; especially : any of numerous migratory grasshoppers that often travel in vast swarms and strip the areas through which they pass of all vegetation
2. : cicada 2
3.
a. or locust tree : any of various hard-wooded trees of the family Leguminosae: as
(1) : carob 1a
(2) : a tall tree ( Robinia pseudoacacia ) of eastern No. America that has pinnately compound leaves, drooping racemes of fragrant white flowers, and strong stiff wood that is remarkably resistant to decay — called also black locust, honey locust
(3) : courbaril 1
(4) : honey locust 1a(1)
(5) New Zealand : kowhai
b. : any of various trees of other families resembling a locust — used with a qualifying term
bastard locust
c. : the wood of a locust tree