ant

[ ant ]
/ ænt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ant ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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 for ant

    have ants in one's pants, Slang. to be impatient or eager to act or speak.

Origin of ant

before 1000; Middle English am(e)te, em(e)te, Old English ǣmette; cognate with Middle Low German āmete, ēm(e)te, Middle Dutch amete, Old High German āmeiza ( ā- a-3 + meizan to beat, cut, cognate with Albanian mih (he) digs), German Ameise. See emmet, mite1

OTHER WORDS FROM ant

ant·like, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ant

ant aunt

Words nearby ant

answerable, answerback, answering machine, answering pennant, answering service, ant, ant bear, ant bird, ant cow, ant egg, ant hill

Definition for ant (2 of 6)

ant.

antenna
antonym.

Definition for ant (3 of 6)

Ant.

Antarctica.

Definition for ant (4 of 6)

ant-

variant of anti- before a vowel or h: antacid; anthelmintic.

Definition for ant (5 of 6)

-ant

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.
See also -ent.

Origin of -ant

< Latin -ant-, present participle stem of verbs in -āre; in many words < French -ant < Latin -ant- or -ent- (see -ent); akin to Middle English, Old English -and-, -end-, present participle suffix

Definition for ant (6 of 6)

an't
[ ant, ahnt, eynt ]
/ ænt, ɑnt, eɪnt /

Chiefly British Dialect. contraction of am not.
Dialect. ain't.

Origin of an't

First recorded in 1700–10; see origin at ain't; aren't

Content related to ant

Take A Zoo Word Trip With Dictionary.com And The Houston Zoo From habitat to pachyderm, these words will help kids of all ages understand more about the plants, animals, and environments they see represented at the zoo. See if you can find an exhibit that gives you an example of each one!
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Words related to ant

tick, vermin, pest, mite, bee, butterfly, gnat, dragonfly, moth, grasshopper, spider, cockroach, termite, mosquito, beetle, flea, aphid, ladybug, nervousness, anxiety

Example sentences from the Web for ant

British Dictionary definitions for ant (1 of 4)

ant
/ (ænt) /

noun

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

Word Origin for ant

Old English ǣmette; related to Old High German āmeiza, Old Norse meita; see emmet

British Dictionary definitions for ant (2 of 4)

ant-

prefix

a variant of anti- antacid

British Dictionary definitions for ant (3 of 4)

an't

contraction of mainly British

(ɑːnt) a rare variant spelling of aren't
(eɪnt) dialect a variant spelling of ain't

British Dictionary definitions for ant (4 of 4)

-ant

suffix forming adjectives, suffix forming nouns

causing or performing an action or existing in a certain condition; the agent that performs an action pleasant; claimant; deodorant; protestant; servant

Word Origin for -ant

from Latin -ant-, ending of present participles of the first conjugation

Medical definitions for ant

ant-

pref.

Variant ofanti-