Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small social insect: An "ant" is a type of insect that lives in large, organized groups called colonies. These insects are known for their hard work and complex social structure.
   • Characteristic features: In a typical ant colony, the males and the fertile queen have wings during the breeding season. The wingless, sterile females serve as the workers, performing tasks like gathering food and caring for the young.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • An ant carried a crumb much larger than itself.
  • We watched a line of ants marching back to their nest.
  • The queen ant is the mother of most other ants in the colony.

Advanced Usage

• "to have ants in one's pants": To be very restless, excited, or impatient.
  • The children had ants in their pants, waiting for the party to start.

Variants and Related Words

• Anteater (n): An animal that eats ants and termites.
  • The anteater used its long tongue to catch ants.
• Antlion (n): An insect whose larva digs a pit to trap ants.
• Ant hill / Anthill (n): A mound of earth built by ants as a nest.
  • Be careful not to step on that anthill.

Synonyms

• Formicid (n): A technical term for an ant (from the family name Formicidae).
• Pismire (n): An archaic word for an ant.

Related Phrases

• Ant farm (n): A transparent container for keeping and observing live ants.
  • The science class set up an ant farm to study insect behavior.

Noun

1. social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers