larve

larva, grub

noun larv Rare

Usage Note

Larve is the biological term for the immature stage of an insect or other invertebrate. In colloquial French, calling someone une larve is a strong insult implying they are spineless or inert. The plural is larves.

Examples

"La chenille est la larve du papillon."

Natural Translation

The caterpillar is the larva of the butterfly.

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