giant hornet

noun

plural giant hornets
1
: european hornet
European hornets, also called giant hornets, can damage plants by stripping bark to build their paper nests.Forsyth County News (Cumming, Georgia)
2
: asian giant hornet
The giant hornet extends about 3.5 to 3.9 centimeters in length (1.4 to 1.5 inches), roughly the size of a human thumb, and it has a black tooth used for burrowing, according to an animal database at the University of Michigan. The queens are even bigger, with bodies that can grow longer than 5 centimeters (2 inches).Madison Park et al.

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of giant hornet was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near giant hornet

Cite this Entry

“Giant hornet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/giant%20hornet. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

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