plural larvae
ˈlär-(ˌ)vē 
-ˌvī
also larvas
-ˌvī
also larvas
1
: the immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis (see chrysalis sense 1a) from which the adult emerges
2
: the early form of an animal (such as a frog or sea urchin) that at birth or hatching is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose before assuming the adult characters
Examples of larva in a Sentence
The larva of a butterfly is called a caterpillar.
the larva looked ugly, but it was destined to hatch into a beautiful butterfly
Recent Examples on the Web
The zooids start as a single larva floating in the water among the plankton.
—
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
The flesh-eating parasite, a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, attacks warm-blooded animals, including humans.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
The parasitic flies produce larva that feed on living tissue, typically that of animals and livestock.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Screwworm is actually a fly that gets its name from how its larva infects a host.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for larva
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
The flesh-eating parasite, a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, attacks warm-blooded animals, including humans.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
The parasitic flies produce larva that feed on living tissue, typically that of animals and livestock.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Screwworm is actually a fly that gets its name from how its larva infects a host.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for larva
Cite this Entry
“Larva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/larva. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
larva
noun
lar·va
ˈlär-və
plural larvae
-(ˌ)vē
-ˌvī
also larvas
1
: a young wingless often wormlike form (as a grub or caterpillar) that hatches from the egg of many insects
2
: an early form of any animal that at birth or hatching is very different from its parents
the tadpole is the larva of the frog
Medical Definition
larva
noun
lar·va
ˈlär-və
1
: the immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis from which the adult emerges
2
: the early form of an animal (as a frog) that at birth or hatching is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose before assuming the adult characters
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share