termite

termite
[ˈtəːmʌɪt]
noun
  1. 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
    白蚁。 亦称 white ant
  2. Order Isoptera: several families
    等翅目:数科
语源
  1. late 18th cent.: from late Latin termes, termit- 'woodworm', alteration of Latin tarmes, perhaps by association with terere 'to rub'
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