formica

See also: Formica and fórmica

English

Etymology

Genericization of trademark Formica, which came from mica, which was a commonly used insulating material that formica was initially intended to replace.

Noun

formica (countable and uncountable, plural formicas)

1. A heat-resistant laminate material used to veneer countertops.

Synonyms

• arborite

Hyponyms

• Formica (the trademarked brand name material)
• Arborite (the trademarked brand name material)

Anagrams

• AFRICOM, aciform

---

Italian

Due formiche – Two ants

Etymology 1

From Latin formīca, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *morwi. Cognates include Ancient Greek μύρμηξ (múrmēx).

Alternative forms

• formicola

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /forˈmi.ka/, [for̺ˈmiːkä]
• Hyphenation: for‧mì‧ca

Noun

formica f (plural formiche)

1. ant

   Synonym: formicola

Derived terms

• formicaio
• formicaleone
• formichetta
• formichiere
• formichina

 

Related terms

• formica bulldog
• formica sergente
• formico
• formicolare
• formicolio

 

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English Formica.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔr.mi.ka/, [ˈfɔr̺mikä]
• Hyphenation: fòr‧mi‧ca

Noun

formica f (plural formiche)

1. Formica (plastic laminated material)

Anagrams

• cofirma

---

Latin

Alternative forms

• furmīca

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *morwi (with many taboo dissimilations). Cognate with Sanskrit वम्र (vamra), Ancient Greek μύρμηξ (múrmēx), Old Church Slavonic мравии (mravii), Polish mrówka, Old Irish moirb, Welsh myrion, Old Norse maurr, English mire.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /forˈmiː.ka/, [fɔrˈmiːkä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /forˈmi.ka/, [forˈmiːkä]

Noun

formīca f (genitive formīcae); first declension

1. an ant

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	formīca	formīcae
Genitive	formīcae	formīcārum
Dative	formīcae	formīcīs
Accusative	formīcam	formīcās
Ablative	formīcā	formīcīs
Vocative	formīca	formīcae

Derived terms

• formīcula
• formīcābilis
• formīcātiō
• formīcīnus
• formīcō
• formīcōsus

 

Descendants

• Aragonese: fornica
• Aromanian: furnigã
• Asturian: formiga
• Bourguignon: fremi, formi, feurmi, fremin
• Catalan: formiga
• Dalmatian: formaica
• English: formic
• French: fourmi
• Friulian: furmie
• Galician: formiga
• Istriot: furmeîga
• Istro-Romanian: frunigĕ

• Italian: formica
• Norman: frémille, fouormin
• Occitan: formiga
• Portuguese: formiga
• Romanian: furnică
• Romansch: furmicla
• Sardinian: formiga (Limba Sarda Comuna)
• Sicilian: furmicula
• Spanish: hormiga
• Translingual: Formica
• Venetian: formìga

References

• “formica”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “formica”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• formica in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• formica in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.