formicary

American  

[fawr-mi-ker-ee] / ˈfɔr mɪˌkɛr i /

noun

plural

formicaries

1. an ant nest.

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formicary British  

/ ˌfɔːmɪˈkɛərɪəm, ˈfɔːmɪkərɪ /

noun

1. less common names for ant hill

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Etymology

Origin of formicary

1810–20; < Medieval Latin formīcārium ant hill, noun use of neuter of *formīcārius of, pertaining to ants. See formic, -arium

Example Sentences

The Ewing home at Southfork Ranch, where eight members of one of Texas' wealthiest families contrive to live under one roof, resembles a formicary of Neiman-Marcus showrooms.

From Time Magazine Archive

A favourite set target is the bulbous formicary of the white ant which disfigures so many of the trees of the forest.

From My Tropic Isle by Banfield, E. J. (Edmund James)

On one occasion, I took ten Lasius niger and confined them in a specially constructed formicary so that they could not possibly leave the nest.

From The Dawn of Reason or, Mental Traits in the Lower Animals by Weir, James

The whole life of the formicary centers upon the young, which proves they have reached a degree of civilization unknown even in some forms of higher life.

From Scientific American Supplement No. 822, October 3, 1891 by Various

But there are other animals in the teeming formicary which seem to subserve no useful purpose other than that of ministering to the ants' love of pets or playmates.

From The Dawn of Reason or, Mental Traits in the Lower Animals by Weir, James