termite

Definitions


[ˈtəːmʌɪt], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a small, pale soft-bodied insect that lives in large colonies with several different castes, typically within a mound of cemented earth. Many kinds feed on wood and can be highly destructive to trees and timber


Phrases:

Origin:
late 18th century: from late Latin termes, termit- ‘woodworm’, alteration of Latin tarmes, perhaps by association with terere ‘to rub’




definition by Oxford Dictionaries