antlion
|ant-li-on|
/ˈænt.laɪ.ən/
ant-eating insect (larva that traps ants)
Etymology
'antlion' originates from English, specifically the compound 'ant' + 'lion', where 'ant' (from Old English 'ǣmette') meant 'ant' and 'lion' (from Latin 'leo' via Old French) meant 'lion'.
'antlion' appeared earlier as the hyphenated form 'ant-lion' in early modern English (16th–17th century) to describe the larval insect, and over time the hyphen was dropped to produce the modern form 'antlion'.
Initially it evoked 'lion of ants' (a predator of ants), but over time the term came to denote the insect itself—especially the larval form that traps ants.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a neuropteran insect of the family Myrmeleontidae; especially the larva, which digs a conical pit in loose soil or sand to trap ants and other small insects; also called doodlebug; the adult resembles a delicate, dragonfly-like insect.
An antlion larva digs a conical pit in the sand to trap ants.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/12 15:34