Ponera

noun

Po·​ne·​ra
pəˈnirə
: a cosmopolitan genus of stinging ants having an elongate abdomen supported on a petiole of one segment but with a constriction between the first and second abdominal segments

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek ponēra, feminine of ponēros wretched, wicked, good-for-nothing, from ponos toil, trouble, from penesthai to toil, be in need

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Cite this Entry

“Ponera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ponera. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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