formic acid
noun
for·mic acid ˈfȯr-mik- 
: a colorless pungent fuming vesicant liquid acid CH2O2 found especially in ants and in many plants and used chiefly in dyeing and finishing textiles
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web According to the Cleveland Clinic, a biting ant will grab you with its pincers and release a chemical irritant called formic acid into your skin. 
Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 22 July 2022 When attacked, the ants bite and excrete formic acid through the end of their abdomen, using it like venom. Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2022 In 2014, scientists discovered that crazy ants could survive exposure to fire ant venom 98 percent of the time by using their own formic acid to detoxify the venom. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 28 Mar. 2022 Instead of becoming a harmless chemical building block, the body metabolizes methanol into toxic formic acid. Carrie Arnold, National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2020 Sharp, slightly vinegary formic acid is the one-carbon volatile acid, a chemical weapon found in ants and other insects but turned against them by the anteater, which relies on it to help digest them. Harold Mcgee, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2020 Both strategies allow the body to excrete the methanol before it’s turned into formic acid. Carrie Arnold, National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2020 Methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde, then to formic acid inside the body. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 6 July 2020 Inside the body, methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde, then to formic acid. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 23 June 2020 See More
Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 22 July 2022 When attacked, the ants bite and excrete formic acid through the end of their abdomen, using it like venom. Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2022 In 2014, scientists discovered that crazy ants could survive exposure to fire ant venom 98 percent of the time by using their own formic acid to detoxify the venom. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 28 Mar. 2022 Instead of becoming a harmless chemical building block, the body metabolizes methanol into toxic formic acid. Carrie Arnold, National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2020 Sharp, slightly vinegary formic acid is the one-carbon volatile acid, a chemical weapon found in ants and other insects but turned against them by the anteater, which relies on it to help digest them. Harold Mcgee, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2020 Both strategies allow the body to excrete the methanol before it’s turned into formic acid. Carrie Arnold, National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2020 Methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde, then to formic acid inside the body. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 6 July 2020 Inside the body, methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde, then to formic acid. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 23 June 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
irregular from Latin formica ant — more at pismire
First Known Use
1790, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
formic acid
noun
: a colorless pungent fuming vesicant liquid acid CH2O2 found especially in ants and in many plants and used chiefly in dyeing and finishing textiles