white-anting

English

Etymology

Derived from white-ant.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

white-anting

1. present participle and gerund of white-ant

Noun

white-anting (uncountable)

1. (Australia, colloquial) The action or process of bringing down from within, undermining, sabotage.
   • 1943, Australian Parliament, Parliamentary Debates, volume 179, page 965:

     The white-anting of our economic controls by black marketing operations is another serious circumstance.

   • 1965, The Federal Law Reports, volume 8, page 237:

     You heard delegates admit that Cameron formed the white-anting organization for the purpose of undermining the A.W.U. ?

   • 2006, Simon Illingworth, Filthy Rat: One Man's Stand Against Police Corruption and Melbourne's Gangland War, page 64:

     I didn′t complain, just worked harder despite the white-anting that went on under the surface.

   • 2012, Sharyn Munro, Rich Land, Wasteland, Macmillan Australia, unnumbered page:

     Having done all she could for Wollar, Bev had to back off from local involvement; the white-anting had succeeded ... and Wollar would collapse.