Standard Lemma guide

terebrant

adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtɛɹəbɹənt/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ɹɪ-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈtɛɹəbɹənt/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of an insect: that bores holes; specifically, of the suborder Terebrantia of thrips which bore using their ovipositors.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, entomology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of pain: resembling the sensation of being bored into or pierced.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An insect that bores (“makes holes”); a borer; specifically, one belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, entomology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The adjective is a learned borrowing from Latin terebrantem, the accusative masculine or feminine singular of terebrāns, the present active participle of terebrō (“to bore through, perforate, pierce”), from terebra (“instrument for boring, borer, gimlet”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Terebra is derived from ter(ō) (“to rub; to wear away”) (from Proto-Indo-European *terh1- (“to drill, pierce; to rub; to turn”)) + -bra (suffix denoting an instrument, forming nouns). The noun is either derived from the adjective, or is a back-formation from Terebrantia (“suborder of thrips”).

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: poraava — of an insect: that bores; specifically, belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors
  • Finnish: kätkö- — of an insect: that bores; specifically, belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors
  • French: térébrant — of an insect: that bores; specifically, belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors
  • Italian: terebrante — of an insect: that bores; specifically, belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors
  • Spanish: terebrante — of an insect: that bores; specifically, belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors
  • Welsh: terebrog — of an insect: that bores; specifically, belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors
  • Finnish: pistinripsiäinen — insect belonging to the Terebrantia suborder of thrips which bore using their ovipositors