Definition of ant
: any of a family (Formicidae) of colonial hymenopterous insects with a complex social organization and various castes performing special duties
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Recent Examples of ant from the Web
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He's been swarmed by stinging ants, bitten by a gila monster, slimed by a giant eel and eaten parasites.
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By tracing their way down to the base of the tree, the researchers gleaned that the ancestors of all Formica ants formed colonies without recruiting slaves.
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The 1972 Documenta 5, its poster featuring an illusionistic swarm of busy little ants drawn by Ed Ruscha, is widely regarded as the best of all the quinquennial shows, before or since.
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Organisms do this self-assembly trick on multiple levels: proteins form networks; colonial amoebas group together into a slug-like aggregate that crawls; ants collectively make a bridge across gaps.
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Above us, teams of climbers scrambled across it like multicolored ants.
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The film draws on philosophers, evolutionary biologists, and others who talk about the human superorganism (like a supersized ant colony) altering the environment as an entity in ways that can make any one human feel overwhelmed.
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So no-big-deal-if-there-are-ants-on-this-dorm-room-pillow!
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The film opens with a close-up of a single ant laboring to drag a reflective gold circle.
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.
Origin and Etymology of ant
Middle English ante, emete, from Old English æmette; akin to Old High German āmeiza ant
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: before 12th century
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearDefinition of -ant
1 a
: 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
Definition of -ant
1
: performing (a specified action) or being (in a specified condition)
- somnambulant
2
: promoting (a specified action or process)
- expectorant
ANT Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of ant for English Language Learners
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: a kind of small insect that lives in an organized social group
-ant
Definition of -ant for English Language Learners
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: a person or thing that does a specified thing
-ant
Definition of -ant for English Language Learners
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: doing a specified thing or behaving in a specified way
ANT Defined for Kids
noun
\
ˈant
\
Definition of ant for Students
: 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
Definition of -ant for Students
1
: one that does or causes a certain thing
- deodorant
2
: thing that is acted upon in a certain way
Definition of -ant for Students
1
: doing a certain thing or being a certain way
- observant
2
: causing a certain action
Learn More about ant
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See words that rhyme with ant Spanish Central: Translation of ant Nglish: Translation of ant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ant for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ant
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