termite

noun

ter·​mite ˈtər-ˌmīt How to pronounce termite (audio)
: any of numerous pale-colored soft-bodied social insects (order Isoptera) that live in colonies consisting usually of winged sexual forms, wingless sterile workers, and soldiers, feed on wood, and include some which are very destructive to wooden structures and trees

called also white ant

Examples of termite in a Sentence

The house has a lot of termite damage.
Recent Examples on the Web Pitch: In a house plagued by voracious termites, Petar and Hana confront the shattering reality of an unplanned pregnancy. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 Aug. 2024 Yelp compiled search data on the types of infestations Americans researched most frequently, including bed bugs, roaches, termites, rodents, wasps, mosquitoes and snakes. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 17 July 2024 The pesticide can kill termites, a variety of ants, cockroaches, fleas and ticks. Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 20 May 2024 Similarly, gutters can be an attractive location for birds, termites, and other pests to build nests, so cleaning the gutters regularly is essential for protecting the home from these invaders. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for termite 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'termite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin termit-, termes, alteration (probably by conformation to terere "to rub, grind, wear down") of Latin tarmit-, tarmes "woodworm," of uncertain origin

Note: Early instances of termites in English may represent the Latin word, from which termite is a later back-formation. Latin tarmes is apparently attested in only a single line of Plautus' Mostellaria, though it was familiar to Late Latin authors. The Roman lexicographer Sextus Pompeius Festus considered it a kind of flesh-eating maggot ("genus vermiculi carnem exedens"). The initial syllable suggests a relationship to terere "to rub, grind, wear down" (see trite), though -ar- must be of secondary origin, and the nature of the suffix is unclear.

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of termite was in 1781

Dictionary Entries Near termite

Cite this Entry

“Termite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/termite. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

termite

noun
ter·​mite ˈtər-ˌmīt How to pronounce termite (audio)
: any of a group of pale-colored soft-bodied social insects that feed on wood, live in colonies consisting of winged sexual forms, wingless sterile workers, and often soldiers, and that include some very destructive to wooden structures and trees

called also white ant

More from Merriam-Webster on termite

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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