# anting

Pronunciation: say "AN-ting" /ˈæntɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The behavior in which some birds rub live ants, or occasionally other objects, into their plumage, possibly as a way of controlling parasites.
   - Simple: A bird's habit of rubbing live ants into its feathers, possibly to get rid of tiny pests.
   - _The ornithologist recorded several instances of anting among the local thrushes._
   - _During anting, the starling crouched and tucked ants beneath its outstretched wings._

## Origin

The word is formed from "ant" combined with the suffix "-ing."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/anting (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).