cow killer

noun

1. the wingless female of any of several velvet ants, especially Dasymutilla occidentalis, of the southern U.S., which inflicts a painful sting.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cow killer¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

Nonetheless, the men proceeded through zigzagging alleys to the home of the suspected cow killer, Mohammed Ikhlaq, one of the few Muslims living in this village about 30 miles east of New Delhi.

From New York Times