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pismire

American  
[pis-mahyuhr, piz-] / ˈpɪsˌmaɪər, ˈpɪz- /

noun

  1. an ant.


pismire British  
/ ˈpɪsˌmaɪə /

noun

  1. an archaic or dialect word for an ant

"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 pismire

1350–1400; Middle English pissemyre, equivalent to pisse to urinate + obsolete mire ant, perhaps < Scandinavian (compare Danish myre, Swedish myra ), cognate with Dutch mier; pejorative name from stench of formic acid proper to ants

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.

See Examples For:

All of us are able to smell ants, for which the great word pismire was originally coined.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Urad, perceiving that they were gone, wished herself into her original form, but alas! her wish was not granted, and the once beautiful Urad still continued an ugly pismire.

From Eastern Tales by Many Story Tellers by Valentine, L. (Laura)

A light dawned upon the intellect of that pismire.

From Cobwebs from an Empty Skull by Bierce, Ambrose

Mark the vanity of the pismire on your left hand.

From The Young Gentleman and Lady's Monitor, and English Teacher's Assistant by Moore, John Hamilton

Truly 'tis said:      "For ruin and the deeds preluding change,      Fear not great Beasts, nor Eagles when they range:      But dread the crawling worm or pismire mean,      Satan selects them, for they are unseen."

From Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith by Meredith, George

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