ant lion

or antlion

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noun

any of several insects belonging to the family Myrmeleontidae, of the order Neuroptera, the larvae of which dig a pit in sand where they lie in wait to prey upon ants or other insects that lose their footing.

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Question 1 of 7

Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?

First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.

First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.

First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.

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Origin of ant lion

First recorded in 1805–15

Words nearby ant lion

antlered, antlerite, antler moth, Antlia, antlike, ant lion, Antofagasta, Antoine, Antoinette, Anton, Antonello da Messina

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for ant lion

Indeed, Lion Air, with 45 percent of the domestic Indonesian airline market, has swallowed the Fernandes formula whole.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There is a larger reason, beyond the airlines themselves, why Lion Air and 61 other Indonesian airlines are on this black list.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Two Indonesian airlines, Garuda and Lion Air, have seen Fernandes eat their lunch and are only now responding.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Lion Air captain had left his rookie copilot to make the landing until he realized he was in trouble.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The airplane was owned by an Indonesian budget carrier, Lion Air.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thereafter he ran away from school twice, having been seized with a romantic and irresistible desire to see and shoot a lion!
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
The strength of the lion is tremendous, owing to the immense mass of muscle around its jaws, shoulders, and forearms.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
The calf and the bear shall feed: their young ones shall rest together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Her feet crush creeping things: there is a busy ant or blazoned beetle, with its back broken, writhing in the dust, unseen.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Up to this period he had not been successful in accomplishing his great wish—the shooting of a lion.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for ant lion

antlion

/ (ˈæntˌlaɪən) /

noun

Also called: antlion fly any of various neuropterous insects of the family Myrmeleontidae, which typically resemble dragonflies and are most common in tropical regions

Also called (US): doodlebug the larva of this insect, which has very large jaws and buries itself in the sand to await its prey

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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ant lion

or antlion

noun

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Origin of ant lion

Words nearby ant lion

Example sentences from the Web for ant lion

British Dictionary definitions for ant lion

noun