definitions

white-ant

[ hwahyt-ant, wahyt- ]
/ ˈʰwaɪtˌænt, ˈwaɪt- /
|

verb (used with object) Australian Informal.

to undermine or subvert from within.

RELATED CONTENT

From POTUS To FLOTUS: A Full (White) House Of AcronymsThe faster we move, the more abbreviations and assorted acronyms we use, and when it comes to talking about the folks who reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—otherwise known as the White House—there are plenty of acronyms to choose from.
READ MORE
Jefe, White Elephant, And Other Trending Words On Dictionary.comFrom the funeral of a former president to an international soccer trade, here's what made words trend on Dictionary.com this week!
READ MORE

Nearby words

white, stewart edward, white, t. h., white, theodore h., white, walter francis, white, william allen, white-ant, white-bread, white-coat hypertension, white-collar, white-collar crime, white-crowned sparrow

Origin of white-ant

First recorded in 1915–20

Definition for white-ant (2 of 2)

white ant

noun

termite.

Origin of white ant

First recorded in 1675–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for white-ant

  • This stopped him, and Goubasee and myself found him sitting up like a dog, close to a white-ant hill.

    Sport in Abyssinia|Dermot Mayo

  • In the same spirit his companions speak of their white-ant existence without a shade of complaint.

    War|Pierre Loti

  • The white-ant hills here rise like castle-towers above the water of the marshes.

    Some Heroes of Travel|W. H. Davenport Adams

  • In this the animals were surrounded and forced to pass before a white-ant hill on which Burt was posted with the camera.

    The Blind Lion of the Congo|Elliott Whitney

British Dictionary definitions for white-ant

white ant

noun

another name for termite
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