yellow jacket

\ 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 One reason was the rise of the gilets jaunes (yellow jacket) protests, which often turned violent and elicited a heavy-handed response. — The Economist, "Brutal facts France admits its police are too violent," 23 Jan. 2020 In France the gilets jaunes (yellow jackets), who drew support from the radical right and left, were about to explode onto the streets. — The Economist, "Voters turn against the populist right," 3 Oct. 2019 A year after the gilets jaunes (yellow jackets) protests, France remains restless and suspicious. — The Economist, "OK boomer French workers strike to keep their lavish pensions," 12 Dec. 2019 This is the potent mix that helped to mobilise the gilets jaunes (yellow jackets) protesters, who set up camps on the country’s road junctions and roundabouts a year ago, initially to protest about a green tax on motor fuel. — The Economist, "A septuagenarian mayor is tackling decline in his corner of rural France," 21 Nov. 2019 The suspect, who showed a handgun, was wearing a yellow jacket and green hat, police spokesman Lt. — Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, "Manchester police investigating three armed robberies," 23 Oct. 2019 And seen out in New York City today promoting her new children’s book Sulwe, the Kenyan-Mexican actress not only wore a fluorescent yellow jacket and dress by Toccin, but accented its super-bright shade with a bold lip color. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Lupita Nyong’o’s Statement Lip May Be the Secret to Brightening Up Your Fall Look," 15 Oct. 2019 Kris LaMar, OSU Extension Master Gardener Can I get rid of yellow jackets without insecticide? — oregonlive, "Can I plant some dwarf trees on a retaining wall? Ask an expert," 31 Aug. 2019 That pheromone may last 10 or more hours, making the victim a potential target for other yellow jackets. — Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al.com, "Yellow jacket ‘super nests’ now in 10 Alabama counties," 17 July 2019

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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Last Updated

20 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Yellow jacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yellow%20jacket. Accessed 21 Feb. 2020.

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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

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