'ant-hill' originates from Middle English as a compound of 'ant' + 'hill', formed to describe a 'hill' produced by an 'ant' or ants.

'ant' comes from Old English 'ǣmete' (also recorded as 'æmete' or 'aemette'), and 'hill' comes from Old English 'hyll'; these elements were combined in Middle English (e.g. 'ant-hill' / 'anthill') and continued into modern English as 'ant-hill' or 'anthill'.

Initially it meant simply a 'hill made by ants' and over time the meaning has remained essentially the same, sometimes extending to mean the ant colony occupying that mound.