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

: northern 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.

Examples of giant hornet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Asian giant hornet—aka murder hornet—was eradicated from Washington state and hasn’t become established here. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026

How to Identify a Cicada Killer Wasp Cicada killer wasps are large wasps that resemble giant hornets or yellow jackets. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 29 June 2026

As the largest hornet in the world, the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is a true force to be reckoned with. — New Atlas, 5 Dec. 2025

These giant hornets can be very deadly to humans, and can also wreak enormous damage to honeybee hives. — Paul Hsieh, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

Georgia and South Carolina are fending off the invasion of the yellow-legged hornet, a smaller relative of the giant hornet that also makes quick work of local pollinators. — Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024

Neither northern nor southern giant hornets have been found in Europe beyond the four documented in Spain. — Randi Richardson, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for giant hornet

• cornett