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fire ant
noun
: any of a genus (Solenopsis) of fiercely stinging omnivorous ants
especially
: imported fire ant
Examples of fire ant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The crew sets up a shot of fire ants rafting in a tank.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2024
Joseph Matthews, 77, perished from multiple organ failure after being found covered in fire ants and yellow jacket stings 20 hours after walking away from his North Carolina facility, his second disappearance.
—Steven Rich, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023
North Carolina Arc of Dunn (Dunn) August 2021 Joseph H. Matthews, 77, wandered away and was found the next day on nearby property covered with fire ants and bee stings.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023
Cockerill has spent over 20 years studying insects and relies on that basis of animal behavior to help filmmakers capture images like how fire ants create an ant-bridge in a backyard pool or how dung beetles climb out of piles of feces.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Jan. 2024
David Hu, a Georgia Institute of Technology engineering professor focused on fire ant raft constructions during flooding, recently likened the insects to neurons in one big, creepy-crawly brain while speaking to NPR on the subject.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2023
The waist was also covered in vampiric beadwork, small red rhinestones creeping up toward the bust like fire ants, and black droplets dangling off the waist.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2023
We’re told to watch for fire ants, will spy tiny hopping frogs and many tree branches contain some sort of colorful pet.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
In addition to the heat and humidity—and the spiders, scorpions, snakes and fire ants—there was a complete absence of maps or notes of any kind documenting the number and nature of the burials.
—Ananda Rose, Scientific American, 1 June 2015
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fire ant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1796, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near fire ant
Cite this Entry
“Fire ant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire%20ant. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
fire ant
noun
: any of a genus of fiercely stinging ants
especially
: imported fire ant
Medical Definition
fire ant
noun
: any ant of the genus Solenopsis
especially
: imported fire ant
More from Merriam-Webster on fire ant
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fire ant
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