paper wasp

noun

1. any of several social wasps, as the yellow jacket or hornet, that construct a nest of a paperlike substance consisting of chewed plant material.

Word History and Origins

Origin of paper wasp¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Example Sentences

A new study of paper wasps suggests social interactions may make animals smarter.

From Science Daily

"The wasps I study, paper wasps, are surprisingly intelligent. Their brain is about the size of a grain of rice, yet they engage in incredibly complex social behavior."

From Salon

Red-headed paper wasp, Level 3: “Immediate, irrationally intense and unrelenting. This is the closest you will come to seeing the blue of a flame from within the fire.”

From New York Times

“It is mildly sweet, and I fully understand why ants, yellow jackets, honeybees, paper wasps and so many other sugar-seekers are attracted to it,” Raupp said.

From Washington Post

In 2021, the department tracked a hornet’s activity, and observed it repeatedly return to the same nest and remove the paper wasp larvae.

From Seattle Times