the placing or rubbing of ants by birds on their feathers. The body fluids of the ants are thought to repel parasites
anting in American English
(ˈæntɪŋ)
noun
the placing of ants among the feathers, done by certain birds apparently to kill parasites
Word origin
[1935–40; ant + -ing1, as trans. of G Einemsen]This word is first recorded in the period 1935–40. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Arts and Crafts Movement, aeroembolism, blitz, fluorocarbon, roadblock-ing is a suffix of nouns formed from verbs, expressing the action of the verb or itsresult, product, material, etc. (the art of building; a new building; cotton wadding). It is also used to form nouns from words other than verbs (offing; shirting). Verbal nouns ending in -ing are often used attributively (the printing trade) and in forming compounds (drinking song). In some compounds (sewing machine), the first element might reasonably be regarded as the participial adjective, -ing, the compound thus meaning “a machine that sews,” but it is commonly taken as a verbalnoun, the compound being explained as “a machine for sewing”