Designed to resist, prevent, or protect against invasion or damage by ants; treated to be impervious to ants.
Compound word from ant + proof (from Latin proba, 'to test' or 'to approve,' later meaning 'resistant to'). The '-proof' suffix became productive in English around the 16th-17th centuries for creating adjectives meaning 'protected against' (as in waterproof, fireproof, weatherproof).
Antproof construction is surprisingly sophisticated! Modern antproof materials often work through texture or chemical barriers rather than just physical blocking—some use hydrophobic barriers because ants can't cross slick surfaces. This practical innovation shows how animals influence engineering!
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