ter·mite (tûr?m?t?)n. Any of numerous pale-colored, usually soft-bodied social insects of the order Isoptera that live mostly in warm regions. Many species of termites feed on wood, often destroying trees and wooden structures. Also called isopteran, white ant.[New Latin Termes, genus name, from Late Latin termes, termit-, woodworm, alteration of Latin tarmes.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.termite (?t??ma?t) n (Animals) any whitish ant-like social insect of the order Isoptera, of warm and tropical regions. Some species feed on wood, causing damage to furniture, buildings, trees, etc. Also called: white ant [C18: from New Latin termit?s white ants, pl of termes, from Latin: a woodworm; related to Greek tetrainein to bore through] termitic adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014ter?mite (?t?r ma?t) n. any of numerous pale-colored, soft-bodied, chiefly tropical, social insects of the order Isoptera that feed on wood, some being highly destructive to buildings, furniture, etc. Also called white ant. [1775?85; taken as singular of New Latin termites, pl. of termes white ant, Latin tarmes wood-eating worm] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.ter·mite (tûr?m?t?) Any of numerous pale-colored insects that live in large colonies and that feed on and destroy wood. Termites resemble ants in their appearance, manner of living, and social organization, but they belong to a different order of insects.The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.