gamergate

See also: Gamergate

English

WOTD – 1 April 2016

A female Pachycondyla berthoudi worker

Etymology

From Ancient Greek γάμος (gámos, “union, marriage”) + ergate.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡæm.ə.ɡeɪt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡæm.əɹˌɡeɪt/
• Hyphenation: gam‧er‧gate

Noun

gamergate (plural gamergates)

1. (entomology) A worker insect that can become capable of reproducing when the queen has died.
   • 1990, Christian Peeters, “Monogyny and Polygyny in Ponerine Ants Without Queens”, in Social Insects and the Environment: Proceedings of the 11th International Congress of IUSSI, 1990, Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill, →ISBN, page 234:

     Recent studies indicate that queenless societies can have either one or several gamergates per colony, which reveals that reproductive inhibition can occur despite the absence of the queen caste.

Related terms

• dinergate

Anagrams

• Great Game