termite

[tur-mahyt]

noun

1. any of numerous pale-colored, soft-bodied, chiefly tropical social insects, of the order Isoptera, that feed on wood, some being highly destructive to buildings, furniture, etc.

termite

/ ˈtɜːmaɪt, tɜːˈmɪtɪk /

noun

1. Also called: white ant. any whitish ant-like social insect of the order Isoptera, of warm and tropical regions. Some species feed on wood, causing damage to furniture, buildings, trees, etc

termite

1. Any of various pale-colored insects of the order Isoptera that live in large colonies and feed on wood. Termites resemble ants in their appearance, manner of living, and social organization, but are not closely related. Termites can be very destructive to wooden buildings and structures.

2. Also called isopteran

Other Word Forms

• termitic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of termite¹

1775–85; taken as singular of New Latin termites, plural of termes white ant, Latin tarmes wood-eating worm

Word History and Origins

Origin of termite¹

C18: from New Latin termitēs white ants, pl of termes, from Latin: a woodworm; related to Greek tetrainein to bore through

Example Sentences

He says that as well as an unfavourable climate, the local soil is not ideal for apple trees and the trees get attacked by termites.

From BBC

Rivas explained that over time the wood weathered from brown to gray and was termite resistant.

From Los Angeles Times

In his work Invisible Cities, he was inspired by termite mounds to reimagine what architecture might look like in the future.

From BBC

"As an example of such a toolset, chimpanzees in the Congo region first use a strong stick to dig a deep tunnel through hard soil to reach an underground termite nest," explains Gunasekaram.

From Science Daily

She tells me about a “wonderful moment” with a chimpanzee she named David Greybeard, the male chimp who she first witnessed making and using tools to catch termites.

From BBC

Related Words

• ant 
• aphid 
• bee 
• beetle 
• butterfly 
• cockroach 
• dragonfly 
• flea 
• fruit fly 
• gnat 
• grasshopper 
• ladybug 
• mite 
• mosquito 
• moth 
• pest 
• spider 
• tick