termes

T1E1R1M3E1S1
UK/ˈtɜːmiːz/

noun

A termite.

Origintranslingual Termes ← Late Latin termes ← Latin tarmes →
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Word of the Day · Sep 8, 2025

Meanings

nountermes (plural termites)

plural termites

  1. A termite.

    The termes of South Africa is not the destructive species.

    1834, Thomas Pringle, chapter VIII, in African Sketches, page 287
    2 more examples

    These turret nests, built by two different species of Termites.

    1781, Henry Smeathman, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, LXXI, page 160

    The termes, or what is called the white ant, infests this island.

    1800, The Asiatic Annual Register, page 5/2

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
termite

Origin

  1. Latintarmes“woodworm”
  2. Late Latintermes
  3. translingualTermes
  4. Englishtermes

From the translingual Termes (genus name), from Late Latin termes, late variant of Classical Latin tarmes (“woodworm”).

More words from translingual, Late Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

MestremesterTesmerrestem
Cite this entry
APA

termes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/termes

MLA

“termes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/termes. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “termes,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/termes.

Source: termes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.