wasp

noun
wasp \ ˈwäsp \ ˈwȯsp \
before 12th century{ds||1||}
  • any of numerous social or solitary winged hymenopterous insects (especially families Sphecidae and Vespidae) that usually have a slender smooth body with the abdomen attached by a narrow stalk, well-developed wings, biting mouthparts, and in the females and workers an often formidable sting, and that are largely carnivorous and often provision their nests with insects or spiders killed or paralyzed by stinging for their larvae to feed on
  • any of various hymenopterous insects (such as a chalcid or ichneumon wasp) other than wasps with larvae that are parasitic on other arthropods

WASP

noun
WASP \ ˈwäsp \ ˈwȯsp \
1948
  • an American of Northern European and especially British ancestry and of Protestant background; especially : a member of the dominant and the most privileged class of people in the U.S.

waspish

adjective
wasp*ish \ ˈwä-spish \ ˈwȯ- \
1566{ds||1||}
  • resembling a wasp in behavior; especially : snappish, petulant
  • resembling a wasp in form; especially : slightly built

wasp waist

noun
wasp waist \
1833
  • a very slender waist

digger wasp

noun
digger wasp \
1880
  • a burrowing wasp; especially : any of numerous usually solitary wasps (superfamily Sphecoidea) that dig nest burrows in the soil and provision them with insects or spiders paralyzed by stinging

fig wasp

noun
fig wasp \
1883
  • a minute wasp (Blastophaga psenes of the family Agaontidae) that breeds in the caprifig and is the agent of caprification; broadly : any wasp of the same family

gall wasp

noun
gall wasp \
1879
  • any of a family (Cynipidae) of hymenopterous gallflies

ichneumon wasp

noun
ichneumon wasp \
1671
  • any of a large family (Ichneumonidae) of brown or black hymenopterous insects that have a slender body and long ovipositor and whose larvae are parasites of the larvae and pupae of various insects

mason wasp

noun
mason wasp \
1815
  • any of various solitary vespid wasps (subfamily Eumeninae) that construct nests of hardened mud

paper wasp

noun
paper wasp \
1853
  • a vespid wasp (especially genus Polistes) that builds a nest of papery material
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