wasp

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈwäsp How to pronounce wasp (audio)
ˈwȯsp
1
: any of numerous social or solitary winged hymenopterous insects (especially families Sphecidae and Vespidae) that usually have a slender smooth body with the abdomen attached by a narrow stalk, well-developed wings, biting mouthparts, and in the females and workers an often formidable sting, and that are largely carnivorous and often provision their nests with insects or spiders killed or paralyzed by stinging for their larvae to feed on compare bee
2
: any of various hymenopterous insects (such as a chalcid or ichneumon wasp) other than wasps with larvae that are parasitic on other arthropods
wasplike
ˈwäsp-ˌlīk How to pronounce wasp (audio)
ˈwȯsp-
adjective

Illustration of wasp

Illustration of wasp
  • wasp 1

WASP

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈwäsp How to pronounce WASP (audio)
ˈwȯsp
variants or Wasp
often attributive
sometimes disparaging
: an American of Northern European and especially British ancestry and of Protestant background
especially : a member of the dominant and the most privileged class of people in the U.S.
Waspdom
ˈwäsp-dəm How to pronounce WASP (audio)
ˈwȯsp-
noun sometimes disparaging
Waspish
ˈwä-spish How to pronounce WASP (audio)
ˈwȯ-
adjective sometimes disparaging
Waspishness noun sometimes disparaging

Examples of wasp in a Sentence

Noun (2) Most of the members of the club are wealthy WASPs. The college had been known as a bastion of WASP privilege.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Some varieties of fig trees rely on wasps to pollinate. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024 Paper wasps Medium-size wasps with brown bodies and yellow markings. The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024 The study team captured the behaviors of butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, dragonflies and damselflies. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 Another cuckoo wasp, this one of a different species, sat on the nest and cleaned its wings. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024 Orbiting, stalling, inverting The study team compiled hundreds of slow-motion videos capturing the behaviors of butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, dragonflies and damselflies, and found that the critters were not attracted to faraway lights. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 In the game, one player is the ant and wasp, the other player is the beetle larva and adult. Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 If the wood wasn’t debarked, trees with loose bark layers or split wood that has dried enough to loosen its bark may harbor an array of creatures, such as wood roaches, earwigs, and possibly even overwintering yellowjacket wasp queens. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2024 Cuckoo wasps use this water and saliva to soften the clay surrounding a mason bee’s burrow and dig inside. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wasp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English waspe, from Old English wæps, wæsp; akin to Old High German wafsa wasp, Latin vespa wasp

Noun (2)

white Anglo-Saxon Protestant

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wasp was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wasp

Cite this Entry

“Wasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasp. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wasp

1 of 2 noun
ˈwäsp How to pronounce wasp (audio)
ˈwȯsp
: any of numerous winged insects related to the bees and ants that have a slender body with the abdomen attached by a narrow stalk and that in females and workers are usually capable of giving a very painful sting

WASP

2 of 2 noun
variants or Wasp
sometimes disparaging
: an American of northern European and Protestant background

Medical Definition

wasp

noun
: any of numerous social or solitary winged insects (especially families Sphecidae and Vespidae) of the order Hymenoptera that usually have a slender smooth body with the abdomen attached by a narrow stalk, well-developed wings, biting mouthparts, and in the females and workers an often formidable sting

More from Merriam-Webster on wasp

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