/ ˈlɑːvə; NAmE ˈlɑːrvə/ noun
( pl. lar·vae / ˈlɑːviː; NAmE ˈlɑːrviː/) an insect at the stage when it has just come out of an egg and looks like a short fat worm
► lar·val / ˈlɑːvl; NAmE ˈlɑːrvl/ adjective [ only before noun ]:
an insect in its larval stage
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent. (denoting a disembodied spirit or ghost): from Latin , literally ghost, mask .