marabunta means A kind of army ant said to devour every living thing in its path. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 93 out of 100.
Why this word is great
MARABUNTA — [Noun] A swarming army ant or large, aggressive wasp, evoking unstoppable collective destruction. Likely from *The Naked Jungle* (1954), with roots in Portuguese *maribondo* ("wasp") or South American vernacular. Unlike "army ant" (a neutral biological term) or "mud dauber" (a solitary builder), *marabunta* conjures mythic dread—the insect as apocalyptic force. It is the rustling carpet of mandibles devouring a village, the black storm of wings descending on a trespasser, the nightmare of nature’s indifference made animate. To name them is to admit the futility of walls.
noun
- A kind of army ant said to devour every living thing in its path
- Any of several large wasps known for their painful stings:; Polistes infuscatus“GE Bodkin (1918), “Notes on some British Guiana Hymenoptera exclusive of the Formicidae”, in Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London, volume 1917, Vol. 65: “The local name is marabunta. Destroying marabunta nests with a wad of dried palm leaves attached to a long pole soaked in kerosene and ignited is an interesting operation for an onlooker at a respectful distance””
- Any of several large wasps known for their painful stings:; a mud dauber or a mason wasp“In and out he flies, bringing each time a tiny daub of mud, the building material of his choice. Before however, he has quite finished his dome or sealed it up he introduces a slender green worm, or more, to serve, it would seem, as larder for the children when they become conscious of their blissful existence and when they feel the pangs of hunger! This species of marabunta is often called the ma”
- Any of several large wasps known for their painful stings:; Synoeca surinama
- Any of several large wasps known for their painful stings:; Polybia occidentalis and other species