Definition of LARVA

larva

Meanings

Plural: larvae, larvas, larvæ

Noun

  • the immature free-living form of most invertebrates and amphibians and fish which at hatching from the egg is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose
  • An early stage of growth for some insects and amphibians, in which after hatching from their egg, insects are wingless and resemble a caterpillar or grub, and amphibians lack limbs and resemble fish.
  • An animal in the aforementioned stage.
  • A form of a recently born or hatched animal that is quite different from its adult stage.
  • A preliminary stage of someone or something, before it has fully matured, especially a time of growth rather than one of performance.

Origin / Etymology

From Latin larva (“ghost-like, masked”).

Synonyms

larva

Scrabble Score: 8

larva is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
larva is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
larva is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

larva is a valid Words With Friends word