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Definition of termite
: 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
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Examples of termite in a Sentence
The house has a lot of termite damage.
Recent Examples of termite from the Web
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One praises the architectural genius of termites, which build towering mounds that circulate air and offer protection from enemies.
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Laland is a high-profile advocate for the idea of niche construction, a term from evolutionary theory that encompasses burrows, beaver dams and nests of birds and termites.
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Termites caused so much damage to the structure over the years that the city has decided to tear it down rather than try to fix it.
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House centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) tend to lurk in the humid areas of homes looking for prey, including cockroaches, termites, spiders, and silverfish.
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Carlsbad police arrested a 34-year-old Escondido man Thursday in connection with a burglary involving a man who donned a white suit and respirator and spent 40 minutes inside a home tented for termites.
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Affected by heat and summer thundershowers, various species of ants and termites emerge from the ground as winged adults, taking to the air to find mates.
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Formosan termites swarm from early April through July, though the biggest swarms often occur during the first or second week of May.
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Orkin Pest Services won the contract to terminate the termites with a low bid of $21,900.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'termite'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of termite
New Latin Termit-, Termes, genus of termites, from Late Latin, a worm that eats wood, alteration of Latin tarmit-, tarmes; akin to Greek tetrainein to bore — more at 1throw
TERMITE Defined for English Language Learners
termite
playDefinition of termite for English Language Learners
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: a kind of soft, white insect that lives in groups, eats wood, and causes a lot of damage to wooden structures
TERMITE Defined for Kids
termite
playDefinition of termite for Students
: a chewing insect resembling an ant that lives in large colonies and feeds on wood
Learn More about termite
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See words that rhyme with termite Spanish Central: Translation of termite Nglish: Translation of termite for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about termite
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