ant

noun

\ ˈant

Definition of ant

(Entry 1 of 6)

: any of a family (Formicidae) of colonial hymenopterous insects with a complex social organization and various castes performing special duties

ants in one's pants

: impatience for action or activity : restlessness

ant

abbreviation (1)

Definition of ant (Entry 2 of 6)

1 antenna

2 antonym

Ant

abbreviation (2)

Definition of Ant (Entry 3 of 6)

Antarctica

ant-

prefix

Definition of ant- (Entry 4 of 6)

— see anti-

-ant

noun suffix

Definition of -ant (Entry 5 of 6)

1a : one that performs (a specified action) : personal or impersonal agent claimant coolant

b : thing that promotes (a specified action or process) expectorant

2 : one connected with annuitant

3 : thing acted upon (in a specified manner) inhalant

-ant

adjective suffix

Definition of -ant (Entry 6 of 6)

1 : performing (a specified action) or being (in a specified condition) somnambulant

2 : promoting (a specified action or process) expectorant

Examples of ant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

What can kill you: Stinging, biting ants that are natives of Brazil but are spreading across the state and the Southeast. — Bruce Henderson, charlotteobserver, "Be wary of these NC natural wonders this summer," 25 June 2018 When Justin Timberlake previewed Man of the Woods to media last month, his guests were treated to some unusual woodland delicacies, from grasshoppers to ants coated in black garlic and rose oil. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, "Justin Timberlake's 'Man of the Woods' Arrives: Fans React," 2 Feb. 2018 Clean Up The first step in eliminating ants is to thoroughly clean your home. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "How to Get Rid of Ants," 2 Feb. 2018 To brothers and artists Steven and William Ladd, a single ant hill can serve as a world of inspiration. — Olivia Martin, Town & Country, "Welcome to Santo Poco! The Ladd Brothers Evoke Childhood Magic at Cristina Grajales Gallery," 29 Nov. 2018 The thief ant traipsing across your kitchen counter also produces an antibiotic that may eventually be useful against hard-to-fight infections. — Lisa Margonelli, WSJ, "‘Never Home Alone’ Review: The Critters Chez Nous," 28 Nov. 2018 The same video also features hacks for cutting mangos, drinking from straws, controlling ant infestations, and serving potato chips at parties. — Rachel Sugar, Vox, "Life hacks offer the siren song of painless self-improvement.," 5 Nov. 2018 To avoid provoking their ire, don't go near or disturb ant mounds, the CDC advises. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "QUIZ: Can You Identify These Dangerous Summer Plants and Bugs?," 3 Aug. 2018 Allegedly, there's an ant face in Ant-Man's costume, and a wasp face in the Wasp's. — refinery29.com, "Ant-Man & The Wasp's Costume Designer Spills Insider Secrets," 10 July 2018

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

History and Etymology for ant

Noun

Middle English ante, emete, from Old English æmette; akin to Old High German āmeiza ant

Noun suffix

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from -ant, present participle suffix, from Latin -ant-, -ans, present participle suffix of first conjugation, from -a- (stem vowel of first conjugation) + -nt-, -ns, present participle suffix; akin to Old English -nde, present participle suffix, Greek -nt-, -n, participle suffix

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Statistics for ant

Last Updated

14 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for ant

The first known use of ant was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for ant

ant

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ant

(Entry 1 of 3)

: a kind of small insect that lives in an organized social group

-ant

noun suffix

English Language Learners Definition of -ant (Entry 2 of 3)

: a person or thing that does a specified thing

-ant

adjective suffix

English Language Learners Definition of -ant (Entry 3 of 3)

: doing a specified thing or behaving in a specified way

See the full definition for -ant in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ant

noun

\ ˈant

Kids Definition of ant

: a small insect related to the bees and wasps that lives in colonies and forms nests in the ground or in wood in which it stores food and raises its young