larvae
The plural of "larva" is larvae.
larva comes from Latin, and like many Latin nouns ending in -a it adds -e in the plural.
Meaning: the young form of an insect before it changes into an adult (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Use a plural verb with larvae: the larvae are. Because larvae does not end in s, the possessive plural is larvae's.
How do you pronounce it?
larva is pronounced /ˈlɑː.və/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
larvae is said LAR-vee. larvas is less common.
Did you know?
- Over time, borrowed words often take a regular English plural too: forums and stadiums are now more common than fora and stadia.
Examples in context
- The larvae feed on leaves.Singular: The larva feeds on leaves.
- We found larvae in the pond.Singular: We found a larva in the pond.
