What does alate mean?
Alate is a technical adjective meaning 'winged' — describing an organism that possesses wings, most commonly an insect. It is especially associated with social insects such as ants and termites, where only certain individuals develop into the alate, or winged, reproductive caste; these winged forms leave the colony on mating flights, after which they typically shed their wings. The word also appears in botany, where it describes stems, fruits, or seeds bearing winglike flanges or membranous expansions. Alate derives from the Latin alatus, 'winged', itself formed from ala, 'wing' or 'shoulder'. Because it belongs chiefly to scientific writing, it carries a formal, precise register and is rarely heard in casual conversation. Its opposite in entomological usage is apterous, meaning wingless. For readers of natural history, alate is a small but useful term for describing one of nature's most striking events: the synchronized emergence of winged insects.
Having wings; winged.
"The alate males gathered at the nest entrance, waiting for conditions to favor their mating flight."
Used mainly in entomology to describe the winged reproductive caste of social insects.
Bearing winglike appendages or membranous expansions, as certain plant stems or seeds.
"The samara's alate structure allows it to spin as it falls, carrying it away from the parent tree."
A botanical usage applied to stems, petioles, fruits, and seeds.
In ant colonies, only the alate individuals ever get wings — and they use them just once, on a single mating flight before shedding them forever.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of alate
Alate comes from the Latin alatus, meaning 'winged', derived from ala, the Latin word for a wing or armpit/shoulder. The term entered English in the early modern period as scientific vocabulary, alongside related Latin-derived terms such as alar ('of or relating to a wing'). Its cognates all trace back to that same root ala, which also underlies anatomical terms like ala of the nose.
How alate is actually used
Primarily a technical term in entomology and botany rather than everyday speech. In entomology it often distinguishes the winged reproductive caste of social insects (ants, termites) from the wingless workers.
Easily confused with alate
Elate means to make joyful or proud, while alate means winged — the two differ by only one letter but share nothing in meaning.