Carpenter ant Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun ant that nests in decaying wood in which it bores tunnels for depositing eggs

WordNet

Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.), any species of ant which gnaws galleries in the wood of trees and constructs its nests therein. They usually select dead or somewhat decayed wood. The common large American species is Formica Pennsylvanica.

Webster 1913