hornet

[ hawr-nit ]

noun

1. any large, stinging paper wasp of the family Vespidae, as Vespa crabro giant hornet, introduced into the U.S. from Europe, or Vespula maculata bald-faced hornet, or white-faced hornet, of North America.

hornet

/ ˈhɔːnɪt /

noun

1. any of various large social wasps of the family Vespidae, esp Vespa crabro of Europe, that can inflict a severe sting
2. hornet's nest
   a strongly unfavourable reaction (often in the phrase stir up a hornet's nest )

Word History and Origins

Origin of hornet¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English harnete, Old English hyrnet(u); cognate with Old High German hornaz (becoming German Horniss ); akin to horn

Word History and Origins

Origin of hornet¹

Old English hyrnetu; related to Old Saxon hornut, Old High German hornuz

Idioms and Phrases

see mad as a hornet ; stir up a hornet's nest .

Example Sentences

During autumn, the hornets shift from foraging and nest expansion to reproduction.

From BBC

Invasive Asian hornets have survived a UK winter for the first time, DNA analysis has confirmed, suggesting that they could make the UK one of their permanent homes.

From BBC

Perhaps because I spend most of my time in the city, with its predictable insect population, I had almost forgotten about wasps, about yellowjackets and hornets and the menace I’ve always associated with their presence.

From New York Times

If I left my house in Elba, I could walk to twelve trees, an ant mound, a hornets’ nest, and a bunch of rosebushes.

From Literature

Researcher Ko Mochizuki of the University of Tokyo discovered that two species in the genus Angelica are pollinated primarily by hornets.

From Science Daily

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