Forms: 1 (W. Sax.) ǽmete, -ette, -ytte, 3–4 amete (amote), amte, 4–6 ampte, 5–6 ante, 5–7 annt, 6– ant. Also 1 (Anglian) *émete, 3–4 emete (-atte), 4–6 emote, 6 emmette, -otte (-ont), amyte, emet, 6–7 emmot(t, 6– emmet. Pl. ants (1 ǽmetan, 2–4 ameten, 4 amptes). [OE. ǽmete, émete, cogn. w. OHG. âmeiʓa, WGer. *âmaitjô, f. á- (see Æ- pref.) off, away + maitan, ON. meita, OHG. meiʓan ‘to cut,’ as if ‘the cutter or biter off.’ (Graff.) The OE. became in 12–13th c. āmete or ēmete in different dialects; āmete has by suppression of medial vowel and bringing together of two consonants become amte (ampte), ante (cf. account for accompte), ant; ēmete, retaining the medial vowel, is now EMMET, q.v. Ant is the leading literary form.]
1. A small social insect of the Hymenopterous order, celebrated for its industry; an emmet, a pismire. There are several genera and many species, exhibiting in their various habits and economy some of the most remarkable phenomena of the insect world. (For other quotations see EMMET.)
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., I. 87. Æmettan ægru ʓenim.
1297. R. Glouc., 296. As þycke as ameten crepeþ in an amete hulle.
1340. Ayenb., 141. Alsuo ase þe litel amote.
1382. Wyclif, Prov. xxx. 25. Amptis [1388 amtis] a feble puple, that greithen in rep time mete to them.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. i. He sawe by the earthe lowe Of Antes crepe passing greate plente.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helth, III. xii. 66 b. The lyttelle ant or emote helpeth up his felowe.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, clxi. 58. Amytes, or Pysmars, or Antes.
1585. Lloyd, Treas. Health, B viij. Pouder of Amptes, myxte with Oyle.
1578. Mascall, Planting (1592), 58. For to destroy Emets or Antes, which be about a Tree.
1611. Bible, Prov. vi. 6. Goe to the Ant [Wycl. ampte, amte, Coverd. Emmet], thou sluggard.
1633. G. Herbert, Ch. Mil. in Temple, 184. The smallest ant or atome knows thy power.
1642. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., 30. The wisdome of Bees, Annts and Spiders.
1733. Pope, Ess. Man, III. 184. The Ant’s republic, and the realm of Bees.
1838. Penny Cycl., X. 372. Formic Acid, or acid of ants.
1861. Hulme, trans. Moquin-Tandon, II. IV. i. 213. When the Red Ant (Formica Rufa) crawls over a piece of litmus paper, it produces a red track.
2. Ant-eggs, ants’ eggs, popular name of the larvæ of ants (a favorite food of young pheasants).
c. 1000. [See 1].
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. xciii. 916. Yf amptes egges … ben remeuyd … the amptes gadreth theim and beeryth theym ayen to theyr neest.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 680. Annt eyron yeve hem [young pheasants] eke.
1585. Lloyd, Treas. Health, F vj. Stampe Amptes egges and strain them thorough a clothe.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. iii. 325. Till purging Comfits and Ants Eggs Had almost brought him off his Legs.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Little vermicles, as small as mites, commonly called Ants-eggs.
1879. Lubbock, Sci. Lect., iii. 69. The larvæ of ants … when full grown, turn into pupæ … constituting the so-called ‘ant-eggs.’
3. White Ant: A very destructive social insect of the Neuropterous order, also called Termite.
[c. 1328. Jordanus, 53. Est etiam genus parvissimarum formicarum sicut lana albarum, quarum durities dentium [etc.].
1713. Bluteau, Port. Dict., 175. Formigas biancas.]
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acct. E. Indies, II. xlvii. 170. The white Ants, which are really Insects, that by a cold corroding liquid Quality, can do much Mischief to Cloth, Timber, [etc.].
1842. Penny Cycl., XXIV. 233. The Termites, or white ants, as they are often called, though they have little affinity with the true ants, are chiefly confined to the tropics.
1857. Livingstone, Trav., xxvii. 540. The white ants … are the chief agents employed in forming a fertile soil.
4. Comb. ant-catcher = ANT-THRUSH; ant-guest, an animal of any other species, that habitually lives in ants’ nests; ant-heap, ant-hillock, = ANT-HILL; ant-hive, an artificial nest for ants; ant-rice (see quot.); † ant-wart (see quot.); ant-worm, the larva of the ant. Also obvious syntactic combinations, as ant-eating, -like.
Also ANT-BEAR, ANT-EATER, ANT-EGG, ANT-FLY, ANT-HILL, ANT-LION, ANT-THRUSH q.v.
1868. Chambers, Encycl., s.v., The true ant-catchers … are of comparatively sober plumage, live among the huge ant-hills, seldom fly.
1879. Lubbock, Sci. Lect., iii. 72. The majority of these ant-guests are beetles.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Hormiguero, an ant heape, Formicarium, myrmicetum.
1859. E. Burritt, in Smiles, Self-Help, 82. That plodding, patient, persevering process of accretion which builds the ant-heap.
1657. Trapp, Comm. Ps. cxiii. 4. He looketh on the earth as on an Ant-hillock.
1713. Addison, Guardian, No. 156, ¶ 4 (J.). Those who have seen Ant-hillocks, have easily perceived those small Heaps of Corn about their Nests.
1826. Kirby & Spence, Entomol. (1828), II. xvii. 58. Huber invented a kind of ant-hive.
1879. Lubbock, Sci. Lect., iv. 109. A Texan ant … is also a harvesting species, storing up especially the grains of Aristida oligantha, the so-called ‘ant rice.’
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomenclator, 444 (N.). An ant wart, which being deepe rooted, broad below, and litle aboue, doth make one feele as it were the stinging of ants, when the same is pulled at.
1747. W. Gould, Acc. Eng. Ants, 39. Ant Worms can only a little turn or extend their Bodies.
1875. Blake, Zool., 85. The ant-eating forms of edentata.
1879. Geo. Eliot, Theoph. Such, xvii. 302. Every petty ant-like performance.
