General term for grasshoppers and locusts (superfamily Acridoidea). In everyday use, バッタ typically refers to the common grasshopper.
The children caught a grasshopper in the park.
A grasshopper jumped out of the grass.
Katakana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Rare single-kanji form; not commonly used.
Rare kanji form; not commonly used.
Rare kanji form; not commonly used.
The word is likely of mimetic or sound-symbolic origin, imitating the hopping sound or movement of the insect. The exact derivation is uncertain.