hormiguero
/oɾmiɡeɾo/from spelling rules
The Spanish word hormiguero means anthill.
Hormiguero refers to a nest or a colony built by ants. It can also be used figuratively to describe a place teeming with people or activity, similar to 'a hive of activity' in English.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a derivative of hormiga (ant) with the suffix -ero, which denotes a place or a collection related to the root.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form is hormigueros.
How do you pronounce it?
/oɾmiɡeɾo/
Did you know?
- The word hormiguero shares a common ancestor with the English word 'formic', used in science to describe things related to ants.
- Unlike the English 'anthill', which implies a mound, hormiguero can refer to massive underground networks that never reach the surface.
- There is a common Spanish expression trabajar como una hormiga which describes the relentless labor found within a hormiguero.
Examples in context
- Durante la conferencia sobre los insectos, el biólogo mencionó el hormiguero como un ejemplo fascinante de organización social.During the insect conference, the biologist mentioned the anthill as a fascinating example of social organization.
- Hay un hormiguero enorme bajo ese árbol.There is a huge ant nest under that tree.
- Ten cuidado de no pisar el hormiguero.Be careful not to step on the ant nest.
- El hormiguero está muy cerca de la entrada.The ant nest is very close to the entrance.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are walking through a garden.
- Daniel¡Mira, Lucía, un hormiguero!Look, Lucía, an ant nest!
- LucíaEs muy grande, Daniel.It is very big, Daniel.
- DanielNo queremos molestarlas.We don't want to bother them.
- LucíaSí, vamos a caminar por otro lado.Yes, let's walk a different way.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hormiguero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
