anting

[ an-ting ]

noun
  1. the placing of ants among the feathers, done by certain birds apparently to kill parasites.

Origin of anting

1
1935–40; ant + -ing1, as translation of German Einemsen

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for anting

anting

/ (ˈæntɪŋ) /


noun
  1. the placing or rubbing of ants by birds on their feathers. The body fluids of the ants are thought to repel parasites

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012