I. ˈant, ˈaa-, ˈai- rarely ˈȧ- noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English ante, amete, emete, from Old English ǣmette (akin to Old High German āmeiza ), from ǣ- (from of from, off) + -mette cutter; akin to Old High German meizan to cut — more at of , mite
: an insect of the family Formicidae (order Hymenoptera) all having a complex social organization, living in colonies with various castes performing special duties, usually burrowing in the ground or in wood and making chambers and passages in which they store their food and raise their young, the adult males being winged and short-lived, the fertile females usually temporarily winged, and the remainder of the colony made up of wingless sterile females called workers — compare caste , queen ; termite , velvet ant
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- ants in one's pants
II. abbreviation
1. antenna
2. anticipated
3. antiquarian; antiquity
4. antonym