lar ‧ va /ˈlɑːvə $ ˈlɑːrvə/ BrE AmE noun ( plural larvae /-viː/) [countable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: 'ghost, mask' ]
a young insect with a soft tube-shaped body, which will later become an insect with wings SYN grub ⇨ pupa
—larval adjective