jet ant

1 definition found

jet ant - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Jet \Jet\, n. [OF. jet, jayet, F. ja["i]et, jais, L. gagates,
     fr. Gr. ?; -- so called from ? or ?, a town and river in
     Lycia.] [written also jeat, jayet.] (Min.)
     A variety of lignite, of a very compact texture and velvet
     black color, susceptible of a good polish, and often wrought
     into mourning jewelry, toys, buttons, etc. Formerly called
     also black amber.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Jet ant (Zool.), a blackish European ant (Formica  fuliginosa
        ), which builds its nest of a paperlike
        material in the trunks of trees.
        [1913 Webster]