Category:Ant

Ant, n. Etym: [OE. ante, amete, emete, AS. æmete akin to G. ameise. Cf. Emmet.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A hymenopterous insect of the Linnæan genus Formica, which is now made a family of several genera; an emmet; a pismire.

Note: Among ants, as among bees, there are neuter or working ants, besides the males and females; the former are without wings. Ants live together in swarms, usually raising hillocks of earth, variously chambered within, where they maintain a perfect system of order, store their provisions, and nurture their young. There are many species, with diverse habits, as agricultural ants, carpenter ants, honey ants, foraging ants, amazon ants, etc. The white ants or Termites belong to the Neuroptera. Ant bird (Zoöl.), one of a very extensive group of South American birds (Formicariidæ), which live on ants. The family includes many species, some of which are called ant shrikes, ant thrushes, and ant wrens.

-- Ant rice (Bot.), a species of grass (Aristida oligantha) cultivated by the agricultural ants of Texas for the sake of its seed.

- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Ant - (Heb. nemalah from a word meaning to creep, cut off, destroy), referred to in Proverbs 6:6 ; Proverbs 30:25, as distinguished for its prudent habits. Many ants in Palestine feed on animal substances, but others draw their nourishment partly or exclusively from vegetables. To the latter class belongs the ant to which Solomon refers. This ant gathers the seeds in the season of ripening, and stores them for future use; a habit that has been observed in ants in Texas, India, and Italy.