chill cicada; afraid to speak
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
cicada in cold weather; metaphor for silent out of fear
literaryLiteral meaning refers to a cicada in autumn or winter that has stopped chirping or chirps weakly. The idiom '噤若寒蝉' vividly describes someone who is too scared to speak.
In the autumn wind, the plaintive chirping of the chill cicada added a touch of desolation.
Faced with the stern questioning, he kept as silent as a cicada in cold weather, not uttering a word.
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The atmosphere in the meeting room was oppressive, everyone was silent like a chill cicada.
noun
a species of small black cicada with transparent wings
technicalA specific zoological term for a type of cicada. The male has a sound-producing organ and chirps in late summer and early autumn.
The call of this species of cicada is very unique, resembling the sound of metal scraping.
In the woods in late summer, the male cicada uses its sound-producing organ to attract a mate.
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Biologists are studying the life cycle of this cicada species.