"white ant" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "black ant",
        "3": "red ant"
      },
      "expansion": "Coordinate terms: black ant, red ant",
      "name": "cot"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From white + ant, reflecting a superficial resemblance to the ant.\n#: Coordinate terms: black ant, red ant",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "white ants",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "white ant (plural white ants)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
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          "source": "w"
        },
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Termites",
          "orig": "en:Termites",
          "parents": [
            "Cockroaches",
            "Insects",
            "Arthropods",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1885 October, Henry Drummond, “The White Ant: A Theory”, in Popular Science Monthly, page 741:",
          "text": "The most important point in the work of the white ant remains to be noted. I have already said that the white ant is never seen.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1971 June 3, “Technology Review: Spoiling the termite′s dinner”, in New Scientist, page 573:",
          "text": "The most voracious cable-muncher in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of Australia is the termite, or white ant, which eats through both lead and polythene sheathings.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "text": "1990 December 13, Kenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard), page D.3,\nMr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am happy to hear that the hon. Member appreciates the fact that white ants cause a lot [of] destruction in his area. There is very little we can do about white ants."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1995, Bill Sheat, Gerald Schofield, Complete Gardening in Southern Africa, page 424:",
          "text": "White ants destroy living plants by removing the epidermal layers, effectively ‘ringbarking’ the subject.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, David Livingstone, “15: Conversations on Rain-Making”, in Roy Richard Grinker, Stephen C. Lubkemann, Christopher B. Steiner, editors, Perspectives on Africa: A Reader in Culture, History and Representation, page 246:",
          "text": "Our house was built on a hard ferruginous conglomerate, in order to be out of the way of the white ant, but they came in despite the precaution;[…].",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A termite."
      ],
      "id": "en-white_ant-en-noun-2q0pDgyk",
      "links": [
        [
          "termite",
          "termite"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A termite."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Termite"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "white ant"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "black ant",
        "3": "red ant"
      },
      "expansion": "Coordinate terms: black ant, red ant",
      "name": "cot"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From white + ant, reflecting a superficial resemblance to the ant.\n#: Coordinate terms: black ant, red ant",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "white ants",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "white ant (plural white ants)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
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        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English informal terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "en:Termites"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1885 October, Henry Drummond, “The White Ant: A Theory”, in Popular Science Monthly, page 741:",
          "text": "The most important point in the work of the white ant remains to be noted. I have already said that the white ant is never seen.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1971 June 3, “Technology Review: Spoiling the termite′s dinner”, in New Scientist, page 573:",
          "text": "The most voracious cable-muncher in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of Australia is the termite, or white ant, which eats through both lead and polythene sheathings.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "text": "1990 December 13, Kenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard), page D.3,\nMr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am happy to hear that the hon. Member appreciates the fact that white ants cause a lot [of] destruction in his area. There is very little we can do about white ants."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1995, Bill Sheat, Gerald Schofield, Complete Gardening in Southern Africa, page 424:",
          "text": "White ants destroy living plants by removing the epidermal layers, effectively ‘ringbarking’ the subject.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, David Livingstone, “15: Conversations on Rain-Making”, in Roy Richard Grinker, Stephen C. Lubkemann, Christopher B. Steiner, editors, Perspectives on Africa: A Reader in Culture, History and Representation, page 246:",
          "text": "Our house was built on a hard ferruginous conglomerate, in order to be out of the way of the white ant, but they came in despite the precaution;[…].",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A termite."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "termite",
          "termite"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A termite."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Termite"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "white ant"
}