leaf-cutting ant

[ leef-kuht-ing ]
/ ˈlifˌkʌt ɪŋ /

noun

any of several tropical American ants of the genus Atta that cut and chew bits of leaves and flowers into a mash that they use to cultivate a fungus garden.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of leaf-cutting ant

First recorded in 1870–75

Words nearby leaf-cutting ant

leaf spring, leaf through, leaf trace, leaf warbler, leaf-climber, leaf-cutting ant, leaf-cutting bee, leaf-footed bug, leaf-hopper, leaf-lard, leaf-nosed bat
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020