Sentence:  Last <WSD>spring</WSD>, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The season of the year in temperate regions in which plants spring from the ground and into bloom and dormant animals spring to life, variously reckoned as