Phrase guide

tramp ant

noun · 1 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of various invasive species of ant often inadvertently transported in soil with cargo on ships, trains, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 2004, S. Bradleigh Vinson, Sean T, O'Keefe, Gordon W. Frankie, Chapter 6: The Conservation Values of Bees and Ants in the Costa Rican Dry Forest, G. W. Frankie, Alfonso Mata, S. Bradleigh Vinson (editors), Biodiversity Conservation in Costa Rica, page 67, The occurrence of highly invasive (tramp) ants (Passera 1994) is of concern, and Saks and Carroll (1980) showed that tramp ants could become abundant in disturbed areas while remaining uncommon in nearby undisturbed forests. Exotic tramp ant species have been found to produce major changes in abundance and diversity of invertebrate species in other regions (Lubin 1984; Zenner-Polania 1994).

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From tramp (“ship without a fixed schedule”) + ant, because they are often inadvertently carried on ships.