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pismire

/ˈpɪsmaɪə(ɹ)/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about pismire at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. Social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers.

Origin

From Middle English pissemyre, equivalent to piss + mire (“ant”). So called due to the smell of anthills. Compare English pissant, Old Frisian pisimme, Dutch pismiere, Swedish pissmyra.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)