noun

termite

TUR-myt

Termite (noun) means a pale, soft-bodied wood-eating insect that lives in large colonies. Example: “Termites had eaten through the wooden support beams.”

noun

A pale, soft-bodied wood-eating insect that lives in large colonies.

"Termites had eaten through the wooden support beams."

"The inspector checked the foundations for signs of termites."

How to use termite

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA small insect notorious for eating through wood and damaging buildings.

Common pairings

termite damage termite infestation termite inspection

Word forms

termited past tense, termites plural, termites singular

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Can you complete this real example?

_____ had eaten through the wooden support beams.

Etymology

Formed as a singular from the plural termites, from Latin termes ("woodworm"), the word Linnaeus used for the insect.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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white ant

Rhymes for termite

rite bite lite kite cite mite site white write trite smite quite

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Frequently asked questions

What does “termite” mean?

The word “termite” means a pale, soft-bodied wood-eating insect that lives in large colonies. In plain terms, a small insect notorious for eating through wood and damaging buildings.

How do you pronounce “termite”?

“Termite” is pronounced TUR-myt (/ˈtɜː(ɹ).maɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “termite” in a sentence?

Here is “termite” used in a sentence: “Termites had eaten through the wooden support beams.”

What part of speech is “termite”?

“Termite” is a noun.

Where does the word “termite” come from?

The word “termite” comes from Latin. Formed as a singular from the plural termites, from Latin termes ("woodworm"), the word Linnaeus used for the insect.