Noun: periodical cicada ,peer-ee'ó-di-kul si'key-du
- North American cicada; appears in great numbers at infrequent intervals because the nymphs take 13 to 17 years to mature
"The periodical cicadas emerged in massive numbers, filling the air with their distinctive sound";
- seventeen-year locust, Magicicada septendecim
Derived forms: periodical cicadas
Type of: cicada, cicala [rare]
Part of: genus Magicicada, Magicicada
Encyclopedia: Periodical cicada