Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- Of, pertaining to, or resembling an ant or ants. Also
formicine . - To swarm (in the manner of ants).
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective (Zoöl.) Resembling, or pertaining to, an ant or ants.
- intransitive verb To creep or crawl like ants; swarm with, or as with, ants.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
move likeants . - verb To have a sensation like the movement of
ants .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb crawl about like ants
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Latin formica (ant) + -ate.
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Examples
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Instead of letting me watch two people formicate, the whole thing looks like one of those propaganda videos of "successful" missions in Iraq that the Pentagon is always showing.
arby commented on the word formicate
What does it mean?
signed, too lazy to Bartleby
June 21, 2007
arby commented on the word formicate
I thought Ninjawords was having a larff but Webster's agrees:
To creep or crawl like ants; swarm with, or as with, ants.
An open space which formicated with peasantry. --Lowell.
Genius!!
June 21, 2007
reesetee commented on the word formicate
So related to formic acid, which is secreted by ants. Sure doesn't *sound* ant-related. :-)
June 21, 2007
trivet commented on the word formicate
I *love* this word! Thank you, arby.
June 21, 2007
oroboros commented on the word formicate
How 'bout pismigrate? ;o)
June 21, 2007
oroboros commented on the word formicate
re: formic acid. I thought ants were MADE of formic acid, i.e., main constituent of their exoskeletons. Now I'm gonna haf to fine out...
June 21, 2007
reesetee commented on the word formicate
You may be right, oroboros--I'm no pismirologist. ;-)
June 21, 2007
arby commented on the word formicate
Hey, thank Geo - s/he listed it. I'm just the one who provided the cite.
June 22, 2007