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# formic

«formic» in Mova's school dictionary: **To do with ants** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (formic)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (science) To do with ants. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formic/#m1)

2) (chemistry) «Formic acid» is a stinging acid made by ants and stinging nettles; it causes the itchy, burning feeling of an ant bite or nettle sting. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formic/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons about acids and alkalis: nettle and ant stings contain formic acid; some people rub on a mild alkali (like soap) to ease them, and a dock leaf is a traditional remedy. Some birds sit on ant nests so the ants spray formic acid that cleans their feathers («anting»).

### examples

- Ants spray formic acid to defend themselves. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formic/#x1)
- Nettle stings contain formic acid. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formic/#x2)
- The burning feeling of an ant bite comes from formic acid. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formic/#x3)
- Formic acid got its name from the Latin word for ant. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formic/#x4)
- Birds sometimes use formic acid from ants to clean their feathers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formic/#x5)

### note

Used almost only in «formic acid». From Latin «formica», ant. Not related to «form» or «formal».

### In the corpora

- [Ants and nettles inject formic acid and other chemicals that irritate the nerves in your skin.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/chemistry/15-acids-in-the-kitchen/16/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «formic» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/formic/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.