formic

American

[fawr-mik] / ˈfɔr mɪk /

adjective

of or relating to ants.
Chemistry. of or derived from formic acid.

formic British

/ ˈfɔːmɪk /

adjective

of, relating to, or derived from ants
of, containing, or derived from formic acid

"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

Etymology

Origin of formic

1785–95; irregular < Latin formīca ant. Cf. French formique

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That energy is then stored in the form of fuels such as formic acid.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

For every molecule of pigment generated, the cell also produced one molecule of formic acid.

From Science Daily • Nov. 3, 2025

The formic acid, in turn, provides fuel for the cell's growth, creating a self-sustaining loop that drives pigment production.

From Science Daily • Nov. 3, 2025

This metabolism creates toxic by-products called formaldehyde, formate and formic acid.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2024

The following table gives Ostwald’s results for the formic acid series:— Table XII.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 8 "Conduction, Electric" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023