Definition of ant
: any of a family (Formicidae) of colonial hymenopterous insects with a complex social organization and various castes performing special duties
What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
Recent Examples of ant from the Web
-
Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: Trout fair to good on pink Power Worms (when there is no flow), nightcrawlers, Gulp salmon eggs, Power Eggs and microjigs; for fly fisherman, small midges, elk hair caddis, ants and beetles.
-
Scientists have studied the ants for their unusual ability to band together.
-
According to numerous citations in the literature, careful work from the 1800s had established two successive waves of colonization by foreign ants and the corresponding extinctions of the local species.
-
There were no satellites back then, no apps to find the enemy or Facebook your wife; there was just a pathfinder and a long stream of GIs who would have looked like a row of green ants from a plane.
-
Only two other organisms are know to have just a single pair of chromosomes: the nematode Parascaris univalens and the ant Myrmecia croslandi.
-
When carpenter ants come into contact with a specific fungus (Ophiocordyceps unilateralis), a toxin released by the fungus takes control of the ant’s brain and compels it to attach itself to a leaf and wait for death.
-
In recent years, birds, ants, bats, termites, mayflies, grasshoppers, and beetles have all been spotted on radar.
-
The lunchtime tasting menu at Quintonil is a joyful journey through Mexico, with dishes like smoked avocado and ant larvae tartare, all served with zero pretension.
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
Definition 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
-
: a kind of small insect that lives in an organized social group
-ant
Definition of -ant for English Language Learners
-
: a person or thing that does a specified thing
-ant
Definition of -ant for English Language Learners
-
: 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
-
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
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up ant? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
