Meanings
nounergate (plural ergates)
plural ergates
- biologyA worker ant.
The worker (ergates) is characterized by the complete absence of wings and a very small (stenonotal) thorax, much simplified in the structure of its sclerites.
1910, William Morton Wheeler, Ants: Their Structure, Development and Behavior, Columbia University Press, page 97
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐργάτης“workman”
- Englishergate
From Ancient Greek ἐργάτης (ergátēs, “workman”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
ergate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergate
MLA
“ergate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ergate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergate.
Source: ergate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.