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definitions
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ant lion

or ant·li·on

noun
  1. 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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Origin of ant lion

First recorded in 1805–15
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ant lion

Historical Examples

  • The ambuscade of the Ant-lion is classic; it does not differ greatly from the others.

    The Industries of Animals

    Frdric Houssay

  • Indeed, she felt rather grateful to the ant-lion, ugly as he was, for killing them.

  • But I'll tell you about a little fellow called the ant-lion.

    Little Busybodies

    Jeanette Augustus Marks and Julia Moody

  • The naturalist, Bonnet, put a spider and her bag of eggs in the pit of an ant-lion.

  • The ant-lion was the larval form the lace-wing fly, of course.

    Nightmare Planet

    Murray Leinster