yellow jacket

noun

\ ˈye-lō-ˌja-kət

, ˈye-lə-\

variants: or less commonly yellowjacket

Definition of yellow jacket

1 : any of various small yellow-marked vespid wasps (especially genus Vespula) that commonly nest in the ground and can sting repeatedly and painfully

2 slang : pentobarbital especially in a yellow capsule

Examples of yellow jacket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Aside from different nesting preferences, the main difference between bees and wasps is that bees feed their larvae pollen, while wasps — a category that includes yellow jackets and hornets — nourish theirs with insects. — Rebecca Straus, Good Housekeeping, "6 Ways to Keep Wasps Away From You," 26 July 2018 Xavier's harrowing experience began Saturday afternoon when yellow jackets attacked him in a tree house at his home in Harrisonville, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Kansas City. — Fox News, "'Miraculous': Boy survives after meat skewer pierces skull," 12 Sep. 2018 Wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets can put a serious damper on your outdoor fun. — Jean Nick, Good Housekeeping, "How to Wasp-Proof Your Backyard This Summer," 26 July 2018 Melania Trump changed into a pale yellow jacket before the plane landed in McAllen for a visit to the Upbring New Hope Children’s Center, which houses 55 migrant children. — Darlene Superville, latimes.com, "First lady's jacket asks a pointed question," 21 June 2018 The first lady wore a different pale yellow jacket when the plane landed in McAllen, Texas, for a visit to the Upbring New Hope Children's Center, which houses 55 migrant children. — Samuel Chamberlain, Fox News, "Melania Trump's 'I don't care' jacket causes stir on border visit," 21 June 2018 Aside from different nesting preferences, the main difference between bees and wasps is that bees feed their larvae pollen, while wasps—a category that includes yellow jackets and hornets—nourish theirs with insects. — Rebecca Straus, Good Housekeeping, "6 Ways To Keep Wasps Away From You," 6 June 2016 The reality star was impossible to miss wearing a bright neon yellow jacket, metallic silver biker shorts, your grandpa's high socks, and Yeezy sneakers for the family outing. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kim Kardashian Basically Dressed Like A Crossing Guard To Take Her Kids to Disneyland," 23 May 2018 Past survivalists have dealt with horrible weather and flesh-eating bacteria, while one contestant was even stung by a yellow jacket in the most unfortunate of areas. — Steve Helling, PEOPLE.com, "Naked and Afraid Survivalists Go Head to Head with A 'Huge' Caiman," 8 Apr. 2018

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

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yellow lady's-slipper

Statistics for yellow jacket

Last Updated

23 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for yellow jacket

The first known use of yellow jacket was in 1796

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More Definitions for yellow jacket

yellow jacket

noun

English Language Learners Definition of yellow jacket

US : a small flying insect that has yellow marks on its body and that can sting you

See the full definition for yellow jacket in the English Language Learners Dictionary

yellow jacket

noun

Kids Definition of yellow jacket

: a small wasp with yellow markings that usually nests in colonies in the ground and can sting repeatedly and painfully

yellow jacket

noun

Medical Definition of yellow jacket

1 : any of various yellow-marked social wasps (especially genus Vespula of the family Vespidae) that usually nest in the ground, aggressively defend their nests, and can sting repeatedly and painfully

2 slang : pentobarbital especially in a yellow capsule —usually used in plural