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Glite Dictionary
Formicidae

Formicidae

1 8.5
A group of insects that includes all ants
  • noun
  • /fɔrˈmɪsɪˌdi/
  • Specialized
: Formicidae
  • Ants belong to the family Formicidae, which is known for their complex social structures.

Examples

  • In biology class, we learned that Formicidae is the scientific name for the family that includes all ants.

  • Of the family of Formicidae.

    Them! (1954)

  • Researchers studying Formicidae have discovered new species in various ecosystems around the world.

Surface Forms

Formicidae singular
Formicidae plural

Morphology

Formicidae = formic (opaque) = formic + idae

The stem 'formic' means 'relating to ants', but the suffix '-idae' is a specialist taxonomic family ending unfamiliar to average learners, so the family-name meaning is not transparently interpretable by a B1 learner.

Etymology

The word Formicidae comes from the Latin word formica, which means 'ant', and the scientific ending -idae, which means 'family' for animals. So Formicidae is the family that includes all ants, and a helpful memory is that 'formic' appears in formic acid, the acid ants make.