carpenter ant

noun

: an ant (especially genus Camponotus) that gnaws galleries especially in dead or decaying wood

Illustration of carpenter ant

Examples of carpenter ant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Identifying Carpenter Ants There are many species of carpenter ants, but those most common in the South are black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus), which are a dull black color, and Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus), which have a black head and a red body, says Oi. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 30 June 2025

The fungus that hijacks ants like a ghastly marionette Penn State The humble carpenter ant is the unsuspecting victim of this nightmare. —New Atlas, 12 Apr. 2025

While the essential oils and extracts distilled from citrus peels are effective at repelling insects ranging from carpenter ants to cockroaches, these compounds only work when applied in high concentrations, much higher than what is present in the peel itself. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2025

However, carpenter ants, amongst other communities, have lost this ability due to evolution. —Jennifer Vilcarino, ABC News, 3 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for carpenter ant

• aunt
• cant
• chant
• gant
• lant
• pant
• plant
• quant
• rant
• sant
• scant
• slant

Kids Definition

carpenter ant

noun

: any of several ants that nest and gnaw passageways in dead or decaying wood