stinger

noun sting·er \ ˈstiŋ-ər \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Definition of stinger

1 : one that stings; specifically : a sharp blow or remark

2 : a sharp organ (as of a bee, scorpion, or stingray) that is usually connected with a poison gland or otherwise adapted to wound by piercing and injecting a poison

3 : a cocktail usually consisting of brandy and white crème de menthe

4 medical : a usually sports-related injury of the brachial plexus marked by a painful burning sensation that radiates from the neck down the arm and is often accompanied by weakness or numbness of the affected area

Arrington had missed the second quarter with a concussion and a stinger that left him, momentarily, without feeling in his left arm.
—Peter King

— called also burner

See stinger defined for English-language learners

See stinger defined for kids

Examples of stinger in a Sentence

the stinger of a bee
in the eighth round he delivered a stinger that knocked his opponent flat

Recent Examples of stinger from the Web

Unlike bees, wasps can use their stingers multiple times.

— laura yan, Popular Mechanics, "Newly Discovered Wasp Has a Terrifyingly Large Stinger," 8 July 2018
The rash is the result of baby jellyfish or anemone stingers.

— National Geographic, "What's Giving Some Beachgoers Rashes? Get the Facts.," 28 June 2018
The 75,000 species described so far are likely just the tip of the stinger; wasps may yet prove to be the of animals on the planet.

— katherine j. wu, Smithsonian, "Five Real Life Wasp Superpowers Not in Ant-Man and the Wasp," 22 Mar. 2018
Scientists discovered a new wasp species with a terrifyingly large stinger.

— laura yan, Popular Mechanics, "Newly Discovered Wasp Has a Terrifyingly Large Stinger," 8 July 2018
Mizell was in severe pain and his family rushed him to the hospital, where nurses immediately began removing the stingers.

— christopher carbone, Fox News, "'It's a miracle': 81-year-old man survives attack from hundreds of bees," 4 July 2018
The rays have had their stingers removed, and their jaws are more for grinding food rather than biting.

— chris ochsner, kansascity, "Stingray touch tank exhibit opens at the Kansas City Zoo | The Kansas City Star," 18 May 2018
Female wasps have stingers that can either inject venom or lay eggs.

— laura yan, Popular Mechanics, "Newly Discovered Wasp Has a Terrifyingly Large Stinger," 8 July 2018
Nurses began the painstaking task of removing the more than 1,000 stingers from Tom’s body.

— vanesa brashier, Houston Chronicle, "Tarkington man survives aggressive bee attack," 3 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stinger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of stinger

circa 1552

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

stinger Synonyms

Synonyms

bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, lash, lick, pelt, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap);

body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut;

cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO;

battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing;

flogging, walloping, whip, whipping;

STINGER Defined for English Language Learners

stinger

noun

Definition of stinger for English Language Learners

: a pointed part on an insect and animal that is used to sting someone

STINGER Defined for Kids

stinger

noun sting·er \ ˈstiŋ-ər \

Definition of stinger for Students

: a sharp part of an animal (as a bee or scorpion) that is used to wound and often poison prey or an enemy

Medical Dictionary

stinger

noun sting·er \ ˈstiŋ-ər \

medical Definition of stinger

1 : a sharp organ (as of a wasp, bee, scorpion, or stingray) that is usually connected with a poison gland or otherwise adapted to wound by piercing and injecting a poison

2 : a usually sports-related injury of the brachial plexus marked by a painful burning sensation that radiates from the neck down the arm and is often accompanied by weakness or numbness of the affected area — called also burner