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termite
(tɜːʳmaɪt)
Word forms: plural termites
countable noun
Termites are small white insects which live in hot countries in homes made of earth. Termites do a lot of damage by eating wood.
termite in British English
(ˈtɜːmaɪt)
noun
any whitish antlike social insect of the order Isoptera, of warm and tropical regions. Some species feed on wood, causing damage to furniture, buildings, trees, etc
Also called: white antDerived forms
termitic (tɜːˈmɪtɪk) adjective
Word origin
C18: from New Latin termitēs white ants, pl of termes, from Latin: a woodworm; related to Greek tetrainein to bore throughtermite in American English
(ˈtɜrˌmaɪt)
noun
any of an order (Isoptera) of pale-colored social insects having a soft body andliving in colonies composed of winged forms that mate and wingless workers and soldiers that are usually sterile or immature: they are very destructive to wooden structures and are found in the temperate zones and esp. in the tropics
Word origin
< LL termes (gen. termitis) < L tarmes, wood-boring worm < base of terere, to rub, bore: see throwImage oftermite
© chakkrachai nicharat, shutterstock
Examples of 'termite' in a sentencetermite
Word lists withtermite
homes and habitationsrelated words
name of home termitarium
Nearby words oftermite
- termination
- terminology
- terminus
- termite
- terms
- terrain
- terrestrial
Synonyms of 'termite'
termite
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