Definition of sting
stung
play \ˈstəŋ\;stinging
play \ˈstiŋ-iŋ\transitive verb
1 : to prick painfully: such asa : to pierce or wound with a poisonous or irritating processb : to affect with sharp quick pain or smart hail stung their faces
2 : to cause to suffer acutely stung with remorse
3 : overcharge, cheat
intransitive verb
1 : to wound one with or as if with a sting
2 : to feel a keen burning pain or smart; also : to cause such pain
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Examples of sting in a Sentence
I got stung by a bee.
The jellyfish stung the swimmer.
The bees will sting if you bother them.
The iodine will sting for a few minutes.
The cold rain stung my eyes.
The smoke made our eyes sting.
She was stung by their harsh criticism.
Origin and Etymology of sting
Middle English, from Old English stingan; akin to Old Norse stinga to sting and probably to Greek stachys spike of grain, stochos target, aim
First Known Use: before 12th century
sting
Definition of sting
1a : the act of stinging; specifically : the thrust of a stinger into the fleshb : a wound or pain caused by or as if by stinging
2 : stinger 2
3 : a sharp or stinging element, force, or quality
4 : an elaborate confidence game; specifically : such a game worked by undercover police in order to trap criminals
Examples of sting in a Sentence
When you get the shot, you'll feel a little sting.
His arm was covered with bee stings.
They were caught in a drug sting.
a sting operation by police
Before 12th Century
First Known Use of sting
before 12th century
STING Defined for English Language Learners
sting
playDefinition of sting for English Language Learners
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of an insect, plant, or animal : to hurt (someone) by piercing the skin with a sharp, pointed part that usually contains poison
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: to cause a quick, sharp pain
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: to feel a quick sharp pain
sting
Definition of sting for English Language Learners
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: a quick, sharp pain
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: an injury caused when an insect or animal stings you
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: a complicated and clever plan that is meant to deceive someone especially in order to catch criminals
STING Defined for Kids
Definition of sting for Students
stung
\ˈstəŋ\;stinging
1 : to prick painfully usually with a sharp or poisonous stinger A bee stung my hand.
2 : to suffer or affect with sharp quick burning pain Hail stung their faces.
3 : to hurt emotionally She was stung by the harsh criticism.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of sting
stung
\ˈstəŋ\play ;stinging
\ˈstiŋ-iŋ\playtransitive verb
: to prick painfully: asa: to pierce or wound with a poisonous or irritating processb: to affect with sharp quick painintransitive verb
: to feel or cause a keen burning pain or smart the injection stung
Law Dictionary
sting
Legal Definition of sting
: an elaborate confidence game; specifically : such a game worked by undercover police in order to catch criminals
Learn More about sting
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See words that rhyme with sting Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sting Spanish Central: Translation of sting Nglish: Translation of sting for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sting for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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