Pismire

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small insect with six legs that lives in colonies and builds nests in soil or wood
2. A tiny creature belonging to the order Hymenoptera, known for its strength and social organization
3. A diminutive arthropod that forages for food and works cooperatively with others of its kind

Etymology: Pismire is an old English word for the ant, and its parts are blunt. It comes from Middle English "pissemyre", made of "piss" and "mire", where "mire" was the Middle English word for ant. The name refers to the smell of anthills, which give off a sharp, urine-like odour, and it is the same logic behind the more familiar "pissant". The compound is a Germanic one, not a borrowing. Old Frisian has "pisimme", Dutch has "pismiere", and Swedish has "pissmyra", all built the same way, which shows the name was shared across the North Sea languages rather than invented in English alone.

Synonyms: ant, emmet