dogday cicada

2 definitions found

dogday cicada - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Dog day \Dog" day`\ or Dogday \Dog"day`\
     One of the dog days.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Dogday cicada (Zool.), a large American cicada (Cicada  pruinosa
        ), which trills loudly in midsummer.
        [1913 Webster] Dog days

  Cicada \Ci*ca"da\ (s[i^]*k[=a]"d[.a]), n.; pl. E. Cicadas
     (-d[.a]z), L. Cicad[ae] (-d[=e]). [L.] (Zool.)
     Any species of the genus Cicada or of the family
     Cicadidae. They are large hemipterous insects, with nearly
     transparent wings. The male makes a shrill sound by peculiar
     organs in the under side of the abdomen, consisting of a pair
     of stretched membranes, acted upon by powerful muscles. A
     noted American species (Cicada septendecim) is called the
     seventeen year locust. Another common species is the
     dogday cicada.
  
     Syn: cicala. [1913 Webster]