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eusocial

adjective eu·so·cial \ ˌyü-ˈsō-shəl \

Definition of eusocial

:living in a cooperative group in which usually one female and several males are reproductively active and the nonbreeding individuals care for the young or protect and provide for the group

eusocial termites, ants, and naked mole rats

—

eusociality

play \ˌyü-ˌsō-shē-ˈa-lə-tē\ noun

Recent Examples of eusocial from the Web

The most familiar examples are the fully eusocial ants, in which many sterile female workers do all the chores, a single large queen lays all the eggs, and a sprinkling of male ants, or drones, supply the sperm.

— natalie angier, New York Times, "Gene-Modified Ants Shed Light on How Societies Are Organized," 23 Jan. 2017

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

First Known Use of eusocial

1966

Learn More about eusocial

Nglish: Translation of eusocial for Spanish speakers

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