formicary

[ fawr-mi-ker-ee ]

noun,plural for·mi·car·ies.

an ant nest.

Origin of formicary

1810–20; <Medieval Latin formīcārium ant hill, noun use of neuter of *formīcārius of, pertaining to ants. See formic, -arium

Words Nearby formicary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use formicary in a sentence

At one formicary half a dozen or more young queens were out at the same time.
Animal Intelligence | George J. Romanes
The next day numbers of the winged white ants were found stored within the granaries of a large formicary.
Animal Intelligence | George J. Romanes
The shadow thrown upon the pavement was very slight; nevertheless, fifteen feet distant a new formicary was being established.
Animal Intelligence | George J. Romanes
An opening had been made in the ground, and the beginnings of a new formicary were quite apparent.
Animal Intelligence | George J. Romanes
Another feature evident in disturbing a formicary is the general harmony in which the individuals of any one colony work together.
In the Open | Stanton Davis Kirkham

British Dictionary definitions for formicary

formicary

formicarium (ˌfɔːmɪˈkɛərɪəm)

/ (ˈfɔːmɪkərɪ) /

nounplural -caries or -caria (-ˈkɛərɪə)

less common names for ant hill

Origin of formicary

C19: from Medieval Latin formīcārium see formic

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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