alate

adjective

\ˈā-ˌlāt

\

Definition of alate

(Entry 1 of 2)

: having wings or a winglike part

alate

noun

Definition of alate (Entry 2 of 2)

: a winged insect (such as an ant or termite) of a kind having winged and wingless forms

Examples of alate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The alates flying from their nests can travel up to 300 yards. — Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, "A major Formosan termite swarm in Metairie on Monday night," 22 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about alate

Dictionary Entries near alate

Statistics for alate

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for alate

The first known use of alate was in 1661

See more words from the same year

WORD OF THE DAY

perennial

living or existing for a long time

Test Your Vocabulary

Late Autumn 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Which is a synonym of yahoo?

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games