different between earwig vs termite

English

Etymology

From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ?arwicga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???(?)w??/

Noun

earwig (plural earwigs)

1. Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera that have elongated bodies, large membranous wings folded underneath short leathery forewings and a pair of large pincers protruding from the rear of the abdomen.
   • 2002, Maurice Burton, Robert Burton, Nuthatch, entry in International Wildlife Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition, page 1762,

     Nuthatches search the crevices of bark at other times during the year for insects, including beetles, earwigs, flies and bugs, and they open galls (swellings in plants) to extract grubs.

   • 2008, John L. Capinera (editor), European Earwig, Forficula auricularia, Linnaeus (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), entry in Encyclopedia of Entomology, page 1370,

     Adults can use the cerci in defense, twisting the abdomen forward over the head or sideways to engage an enemy, often another earwig. Earwigs are nocturnal, spending the day hidden under leaf debris, in cracks and crevices, and in other dark locations.

2. One who whispers insinuations; a secret counsellor.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Johnson to this entry?)

3. A flatterer.

Synonyms

• (insect of order Dermaptera): forkytail (dialectal, Geordie), pincher bug

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• earworm
• earpick

Verb

earwig (third-person singular simple present earwigs, present participle earwigging, simple past and past participle earwigged)

1. (transitive) To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations.
2. (transitive) To attempt to influence by persistent confidential argument or talk.
   • 1831 November, Edward Lancaster, Appearances, The Ladies? Museum, page 202,

     In the interim, rest assured that Mr. Atherstone is by no means your friend, for he was perpetually earwigging poor Sir Rowland.

   • 1866 February 23, South Australian Parliament, Debates in the Houses of Legislature: September 29 1865—March 16 1866, page 1127,

     The hon. gentleman Mr. Reynolds had expressed his fears that the Government would allow themselves to be earwigged out of the money.

3. (intransitive, Britain, slang) To eavesdrop.
   • 2007, Cat Rambo, Jeff VanderMeer, The Strange Case of the Lovecraft Café, The Surgeon?s Tale and Other Stories, page 89,

     The nameless earwigging writer scrawled in his notebook that “MS and CT also considered that such low life would have a greater pride and satisfaction in life if they could themselves be cooked and served still bleating to rich diners.?
4. (transitive, Britain, slang) To eavesdrop on.

Translations

English

Etymology

From French termite, which is from Latin termites (three syllables), plural of termes.

Also possibly a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *term- (“drill”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?t??(?).ma?t/
• Rhymes: -??(?)ma?t

Noun

termite (plural termites)

1. A white-bodied, wood-consuming insect of the infraorder Isoptera, in the order Blattodea.
   • 1802, Francis William Blagdon, Modern Discoveries; or, a Collection of facts and observations, vol. IV, page 162

     Linnæus describes this insect under the Latin name of Termes; and citizen Cuvier speaks of it under that of Termites. The vulgar call it by that of white ant, or fourmi vaguevague. The termites divide themselves into societies: each society builds itself a next, and each nest belongs to an innumerable quantity of these insects, who acknowledge for their chiefs a king and a queen.

Synonyms

• (white-bodied, wood-consuming insect): termes, white ant

Translations

Verb

termite (third-person singular simple present termites, present participle termiting, simple past and past participle termited)

1. (intransitive) Of a chimpanzee: to catch termites by inserting a stick or vine into their nest and waiting for them to climb up it.

Further reading

• termite on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• emitter

French

Etymology

Back-formation from termites. From Late Latin termites (plural of termes), late variant of the Classical Latin tarmes (“woodworm”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t??.mit/

Noun

termite m or f (plural termites)

1. termite (white-bodied, wood-consuming insect)
   • 1798, Georges Cuvier, Tableau élémentaire de l'histoire naturelle des animaux, page 479

     Les termites parfaits ont le corps et la tête applatis horizontalement ; trois articles à tous les doigts. Leurs antennes, en forme de chapelet, les distinguent assez des autres genres de cet ordre. […]
     1. Le termite belliqueux. (Termes fatale.)
     Est l'espèce la plus grande et la plus commune. […]
     2. Le termite atroce. (Termes arda.)
     Noir, à pieds pâles, et
     3. Le termite mordant. (Termes mordax.)
     Noir, à pieds de même couleur.

Usage notes

While most dictionaries give termite has masculine, it is commonly used as a feminine noun, due to the ending -ite.

Descendants

• ? Romanian: termit?

Synonyms

• fourmi blanche

Further reading

• “termite” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Italian

Etymology

From Late Latin termes, termit?s.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?r.mi.te/

Noun

termite f (plural termiti)

1. termite (white-bodied, wood-consuming insect)

Anagrams

• rimette, temerti

Further reading

• termite in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?ter.mi.te/, [?t??rm?t??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?ter.mi.te/, [?t??rmit??]

Noun

termite m

1. ablative singular of termes