ant

Alternative forms

• ante, ampte

Etymology

From Middle English amte, emete, amete, from Old English ǣmette (“ant”), from Proto-Germanic *ēmaitijǭ (“ant”, literally “biting-thing, cutter”), from Proto-Germanic *ē- (“off, away”) + *maitaną (“to cut”), from Proto-Indo-European *mai- (“to cut”). Cognate with Scots emmot (“ant”), dialectal Dutch emt, empt (“ant”), German Ameise and Emse (“ant”). See also emmet.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) enPR: ănt, IPA^(key): /ænt/
• (æ-tensing), IPA^(key): [ɛənt]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænt
• Homophone: aunt (in some accents)

Noun

ant (plural ants)

1. Any of various insects in the family Formicidae in the order Hymenoptera, typically living in large colonies composed almost entirely of flightless females.
   • 2013 July 26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects [… ]”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32:

     The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters […] . But the priciest items in the market aren't the armadillo steaks or even the bluefin tuna. That would be the frozen chicatanas – giant winged ants – at around $500 a kilo.

2. (Internet) A Web spider.

Verb

ant (third-person singular simple present ants, present participle anting, simple past and past participle anted)

1. (ornithology) To rub insects, especially ants, on one's body, perhaps to control parasites or clean feathers.
   • 1974, “Relationship of anting and sunbathing to molting in wild birds”, in The Auk‎, volume 91, page 538:

     Wild birds tend to ant and sunbathe most frequently during periods of high humidity, particularly right after heavy or prolonged rainfall in summer.

Anagrams

• NAT, NTA, Nat, Nat., TAN, TNA, Tan, nat, tan

Noun

ant m

1. furrow

Noun

ant m (plural ants)

1. elk, moose

Noun

ant

1. oath

References

• Mirjejev, V. A.; Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎, Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

Etymology

From French entre (“between”).

Preposition

ant

1. between

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɐnt]

Preposition

añt (with genitive)

1. on

Etymology

May be borrowed from Egyptian ḥm-nṯr (“priest”).

Noun

ant

1. The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:

   priest

References

• Meeks, Dimitri (1973) Liste des mots méroïtiques ayant une signification connue au supposée, Meroitic Newsletter / Bulletin d'informations méroïtiques № 13, pages 3–20

Alternative forms

• aant

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aːnt/

Verb

ant

1. third-person plural present indicative of mynet

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *Ānt (“oath”). Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰦‎.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈant/
• Hyphenation: ant

Noun

ant (definite accusative andı, plural antlar)

1. oath

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

ȧnt f (plural anta)

1. duck