ant
Tiny hill dweller
An ant is a small social insect that lives in organized colonies, often underground or in mounds.
Ants are known for their industriousness and cooperative behavior—hence busy as an ant and the fable contrasting the hardworking ant with the carefree grasshopper.
To have ants in your pants is to be restless or fidgety.
Dependent territorial settlement
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- division of laborSplitting tasks among workers
- eusocialCooperative breeding with castes
- altruismPrioritizing others' wellbeing
communication · hierarchy · collective · organized · caste system · teamwork · coordination · recruitment
Most powerful chess piece
- workersPeople doing jobs
- soldiersMilitary personnel who fight
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
- pupaeMetamorphosis middle stage
brood · nest · mound · hill · tunnels · chambers · underground · foraging
Sensory appendages on insects
- mandiblesPaired arthropod mouthparts
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- thoraxCentral body cavity
- abdomenTorso's lower cavity
six-legged · arthropod · invertebrate · metamorphosis · pheromones · forager · segmented · chitin
Stinging nectar gatherer
- waspNarrow-bodied stinging insect
- hornetLarge aggressive wasp
- sawflyPlant-boring wasp cousin
- yellow jacketGround-nesting stinging insect
Committed to sustained effort
- diligentPersistently attentive to tasks
- tirelessNever losing energy
- toilStrenuous, prolonged effort
- industriousDevoted to steady effort
perseverance · cooperative · organized · busy · teamwork · efficient · collective · ceaseless
Burrowing insectivore with tubular snout
- echidnaEgg-laying spined mammal
- pangolinScale-covered ant-eating mammal
- armadilloPlated burrowing mammal
- shrewIll-tempered woman, or insectivore
hedgehog · aye-aye · flicker · horned lizard · spider · antlion
Pest takeover situation
- exterminatorOne who eradicates vermin
- baitLure for prey
- trapDevice for catching animals
- moundHeaped earth formation
kitchen · picnic · invasion · pesticide · spray · crumbs · sugar · pantry
Mechanism for vertical transport
- carryMove while supporting
- powerfulHaving great strength
- load-bearingSustaining structural mass
- mightyHaving great power
proportional · weight · burden · haul · muscle · endurance · remarkable
colony
Dependent territorial settlement
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- division of laborSplitting tasks among workers
- eusocialCooperative breeding with castes
altruism · communication · hierarchy · collective · organized · caste system · teamwork · coordination · recruitment
queen
Most powerful chess piece
pupae · brood · nest · mound · hill · tunnels · chambers · underground · foraging · caste
antennae
Sensory appendages on insects
- mandiblesPaired arthropod mouthparts
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- thoraxCentral body cavity
abdomen · six-legged · arthropod · invertebrate · metamorphosis · pheromones · forager · segmented · chitin · compound eyes
bee
Stinging nectar gatherer
hardworking
Committed to sustained effort
industrious · perseverance · cooperative · organized · busy · teamwork · efficient · collective · ceaseless · assiduous
aardvark
Burrowing insectivore with tubular snout
- echidnaEgg-laying spined mammal
- pangolinScale-covered ant-eating mammal
- armadilloPlated burrowing mammal
shrew · hedgehog · aye-aye · flicker · horned lizard · spider · antlion
infestation
Pest takeover situation
- exterminatorOne who eradicates vermin
- baitLure for prey
- trapDevice for catching animals
mound · kitchen · picnic · invasion · pesticide · spray · crumbs · sugar · pantry · nuisance
lift
Mechanism for vertical transport
- carryMove while supporting
- powerfulHaving great strength
- load-bearingSustaining structural mass
mighty · proportional · weight · burden · haul · muscle · endurance · remarkable
- fire antsAggressive stinging insects
- ant colonySocial insect community
- ant farmEnclosed colony viewing habitat
- ups the anteIncreases what's risked
- upping the anteIncreasing what's risked
- sugar antsSmall ants attracted to sweetness
ants, antebellum, ante, anthill, anteater, anteroom, antedate, anteaters, anthills