formicary

[ fawr-mi-ker-ee ]

noun,plural for·mi·car·ies.
  1. an ant nest.

Origin of formicary

1
1810–20; <Medieval Latin formīcārium ant hill, noun use of neuter of *formīcārius of, pertaining to ants. See formic, -arium

Words Nearby formicary

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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)
  1. less common names for ant hill

Origin of formicary

1
C19: from Medieval Latin formīcārium see formic

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