Definition

A behavior observed in some birds where they rub live ants on their feathers to help control parasites and obtain chemicals from the ants.

Example

The bird was seen anting, using ants to clean its feathers.

Conversation

I watched a documentary about birds yesterday, and they mentioned something called anting.

Oh, I've heard of that! It's when birds use ants to keep their feathers clean, right?

Exactly! I didn't know they could do that to control parasites through anting.

Nature is amazing, isn't it? I love learning about these unique behaviors.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Anting is derived from the word 'ant' (from Old English 'ænt', meaning a small insect) combined with the suffix '-ing' (indicating an action or process). The term 'anting' refers to the behavior of birds using ants to clean their feathers, thus describing the action involving ants.

Memory Tip

Think of birds engaging in an action ('-ing') with small insects ('ant') to remember that 'anting' is the process of birds using ants for feather cleaning.

Visually Confused Words