ant

\ 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 The photos here capture the feral cats, pigeons, and ants swarming in sidewalk cracks. — New York Times, "Respect the Hustle of Soda Can Raccoon and Murder Cat," 22 Nov. 2019 Anyone can wander into the forest—or, indeed, to the airport—and gather caterpillars, ants and grasshoppers. — The Economist, "Grubs up Why eating bugs is so popular in Congo," 14 Nov. 2019 Dalí’s deck blends elements of his bombastic personality with typical surrealist motifs—think ants and disembodied heads—and traditional tarot symbolism. — Nina Kravinsky, Smithsonian, "See Surreal Tarot Cards Designed by Salvador Dalí for a James Bond Movie," 7 Nov. 2019 Today, its red and white striped smokestacks still loom over the surrounding cornfields, making ants of the workers who file out at quitting time. — Wired, "The Shady Cryptocurrency Boom on the Post-Soviet Frontier," 29 Oct. 2019 Silver ants have a number of ways to deal with the harsh desert conditions. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "The world’s fastest ant clocks record speed of 108 times its own body length," 17 Oct. 2019 Some monetary donations help cover oil for the weed trimmers and mowers, spark plugs for the machines and ant and weed killer. — Kim Piña, Houston Chronicle, "Armed with mowers and goodwill, San Leon Yard Birds aid neighbors in need," 7 Oct. 2019 Flik, an oddball inventor living in the colony of Ant Island, seeks to innovate and build a better life for the ants, who make seasonal offerings of food to a gang of grasshoppers led by the villainous Hopper. — Alex Kane, USA TODAY, "How to watch A Bug's Life," 12 Nov. 2019 This is the order that includes ants, bees and wasps. — Lela Nargi, Washington Post, "Some wasps, flies and ants can turn fellow insects into zombies," 28 Oct. 2019

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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answer to a name

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answer to (something)

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Last Updated

2 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Ant.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ant. Accessed 11 December 2019.

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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

ant.

abbreviation