noun
termite
TUR-myt
noun
1
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 notesIn 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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_____ 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.