Magicicada septendecim
- noun
- /ˌmæsɪˈkeɪdə səˌtɛndəˈsɪm/
- Specialized
:
Magicicada septendecim
- The Magicicada septendecim will emerge this year after 17 years underground.
Examples
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Residents marvelled at the noise created by thousands of Magicicada septendecim during the recent emergence.
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The Magicicada septendecim emerges from the ground in vast swarms once every seventeen years.
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Entomologists study Magicicada septendecim to understand the evolutionary advantages of its long lifecycle.
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Have you ever seen a Magicicada septendecim swarm?
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Entomologists study Magicicada septendecim to understand the evolutionary advantages of its long lifecycle.
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Residents marvelled at the noise created by thousands of Magicicada septendecim during the recent emergence.
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The Magicicada septendecim emerges from the ground in vast swarms once every seventeen years.
Synonyms
1
8.5
A North American insect that appears above ground in very large numbers every 13 or 17 years
A North American cicada that emerges from underground every 13 or 17 years in large numbers
A large noisy insect in North America that appears in big groups about every 17 years
Surface Forms
Morphology
Magicicada + septendecim
This binomial name is compositional: Magicicada identifies the cicada genus and septendecim is the Latin numeral for 'seventeen', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes the Magicicada species associated with a 17‑year emergence cycle. Because the meaning follows directly from the parts rather than being idiomatic, it is transparently derivable (though in practice 'septendecim' is a Latin term many B1 learners will not know).
Etymology
Magicicada septendecim is a scientific name that creates a clear picture: Magicicada mixes 'magic' and 'cicada' because these insects seem to appear like 'magic' after many years underground, and septendecim is Latin for 'seventeen'. So the name points to the cicada that comes out in huge numbers every seventeen years.