formicariid
|for-mi-car-iid|
🇺🇸
/fɔrˈmɪkəriɪd/
🇬🇧
/fɔːrˈmɪkəriɪd/
member of the antthrush (Formicariidae) family
Etymology
'formicariid' originates from New Latin, specifically the family name 'Formicariidae', ultimately based on Latin 'formica' meaning 'ant' with the adjectival/relational suffix '-arius' (pertaining to) and the taxonomic suffix '-id' (denoting belonging to).
'formicariid' changed from the Latin root 'formica' ('ant') to New Latin 'Formicarius' ('pertaining to ants'), then to the family name 'Formicariidae' in zoological Latin, and finally into the English noun 'formicariid' meaning a member of that family.
Initially the root referred to 'ants' or 'pertaining to ants'; over time the term came to denote birds of the family characterized by their association with ants and ground-foraging behaviour, and 'formicariid' now specifically means a bird of the family Formicariidae.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a bird belonging to the family Formicariidae (commonly called antthrushes or ground antbirds), native to Central and South America; typically small to medium, ground-dwelling insectivorous birds often associated with foraging on ants and leaf litter.
The researchers recorded the calls of several formicariids while surveying the forest floor.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/29 23:21