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Glite Dictionary
to formicate

to formicate

9.9
To move or crawl like ants
  • verb
  • /ˈfɔrmɪˌkeɪt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : moverse como hormigas
  • Fear made her skin crawl, as if a thousand unseen legs were formicating over her body.

Examples

  • The insects began to formicate across the spilled sugar, creating a moving black trail.

  • The ants formicate around the picnic area.

  • Debris and small creatures seemed to formicate over the forest floor after the rain.

  • They often formicate in large groups.

  • The children ran around the playground, formicating like ants excitedly searching for food.

  • As the bees swarmed around the hive, they were formicating in a frenzy, reminiscent of an ant colony.

  • In the summer heat, the hikers could see the soldiers formicating on the ground as they marched into their camp.

Surface Forms

formicate infinitive
formicated past
formicated past participle
formicating present participle
formicates third person singular

Morphology

formicate = formic (semi-transparent) = formic + ate

The root 'formic' relates to ants, but the verb form 'formicate' is not a commonly known derivation.

Etymology

Formicate comes from the Latin word formica, which means 'ant'. So to formicate is to move or crawl 'like ants', which is why we use it for things that swarm or seem to crawl.