army ant


noun

any of the chiefly tropical ants of the suborder Dorylinae that travel in vast swarms, preying mainly on other insects.
Also called driver ant, legionary ant.

Origin of army ant

First recorded in 1870–75

Example sentences from the Web for army ant

  • He only feared one kind of ant, the army-ant, which sometimes travels in hordes of millions, eating all that it comes upon.

    The Mad Planet |Murray Leinster

British Dictionary definitions for army ant

army ant

noun

any of various mainly tropical American predatory ants of the subfamily Dorylinae, which live in temporary nests and travel in vast hordes preying on other animals Also called: legionary ant See also driver ant