ant
any of numerous black, red, brown, or yellow social insects of the family Formicidae, of worldwide distribution especially in warm climates, having a large head with inner jaws for chewing and outer jaws for carrying and digging, and living in highly organized colonies containing wingless female workers, a winged queen, and, during breeding seasons, winged males, some species being noted for engaging in warfare, slavemaking, or the cultivation of food sources.
Idioms about ant
have ants in one's pants, Slang. to be impatient or eager to act or speak.
Origin of ant
1Other words from ant
- antlike, adjective
Words that may be confused with ant
- ant , aunt
Other definitions for an't (2 of 6)
Chiefly British Dialect. contraction of am not.
Dialect. ain't.
Origin of an't
2Other definitions for ant- (3 of 6)
variant of anti- before a vowel or h:antacid; anthelmintic.
Other definitions for -ant (4 of 6)
a suffix forming adjectives and nouns from verbs, occurring originally in French and Latin loanwords (pleasant; constant; servant) and productive in English on this model; -ant has the general sense “characterized by or serving in the capacity of” that named by the stem (ascendant; pretendant), especially in the formation of nouns denoting human agents in legal actions or other formal procedures (tenant; defendant; applicant; contestant). In technical and commercial coinages, -ant is a suffix of nouns denoting impersonal physical agents (propellant; lubricant; deodorant). In general, -ant can be added only to bases of Latin origin, with a very few exceptions, as coolant.
Origin of -ant
4- See also -ent.
Other definitions for ant. (5 of 6)
antenna
antonym.
Other definitions for Ant. (6 of 6)
Antarctica.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for ant (1 of 4)
/ (ænt) /
any small social insect of the widely distributed hymenopterous family Formicidae, typically living in highly organized colonies of winged males, wingless sterile females (workers), and fertile females (queens), which are winged until after mating: See also army ant, fire ant, slave ant, wood ant Related adjective: formic
white ant another name for a termite
have ants in one's pants slang to be restless or impatient
Origin of ant
1British Dictionary definitions for an't (2 of 4)
British Dictionary definitions for ant- (3 of 4)
a variant of anti- antacid
British Dictionary definitions for -ant (4 of 4)
causing or performing an action or existing in a certain condition; the agent that performs an action: pleasant; claimant; deodorant; protestant; servant
Origin of -ant
4Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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