ant

name

1. Initialism of Afghanistan National Television.

noun

1. Initialism of Aids to Navigation Team, as used in the United States Coast Guard.
2. Abbreviation of actor–network theory.
3. Acronym of ambiguous nuclear transient.

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *āmaitijā Old English ǣmete Middle English ampte English ant From Middle English ampte, amte, emete, amete, from Old English ǣmete (“ant”), from Proto-West Germanic *āmaitijā (literally “biting-thing, cutter”), of uncertain and debated origin (q.v.), but probably from Proto-Germanic *ē- (“off, away”) + *maitaną (“to cut”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂y- (“to cut”). Cognate with Scots emmot (“ant”), dialectal Dutch emt, empt (“ant”), German Ameise and Emse (“ant”). See also emmet.

1. To rub insects, especially ants, on one's body, perhaps to control parasites or clean feathers.

   “Wild birds tend to ant and sunbathe most frequently during periods of high humidity, particularly right after heavy or prolonged rainfall in summer.”