yellow jacket

noun

plural yellow jackets

1

or yellowjacket

ˈye-lō-ˌja-kət 

ˈye-lə-

plural yellowjackets : any of various small vespid wasps (genus Vespula and Dolichovespula) typically with abdomens marked with yellow and black that build nests in the ground or less commonly in aerial locations (such as the eaves of buildings), that usually reach a length of up to .5 inches (1.3 centimeters), and that can sting repeatedly and painfully

2

slang : pentobarbital especially in a yellow capsule

—usually used in plural

Examples of yellow jacket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By mid- to late-summer and fall, yellow jacket populations are at their height. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 July 2025

The silhouette echoes designs previously worn by Tracee Ellis Ross at Jacobs’ spring 2025 show, where Ross paired a similar shoe with a yellow jacket and purple skirt. —Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019

People who are allergic to bees are usually allergic to yellow jackets as well, though the scale of the reaction may differ. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2024

These wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and bees are showing up in new areas and in greater numbers as more places become suitable for their hives, nests, and colonies. —Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for yellow jacket

• bracket
• packet
• racket
• racquet
• straitjacket

Kids Definition

yellow jacket

noun

: any of various small social wasps with yellow markings that commonly nest in the ground and can sting repeatedly and painfully

Medical Definition

yellow jacket

noun

1

or yellowjacket

ˈyel-ō-ˌjak-ət 

: any of various small, social wasps (genus Vespula and Dolichovespula of the family Vespidae) typically with abdomens marked with yellow and black that build nests in the ground or less commonly in aerial locations (as the eaves of buildings), that aggressively defend their nests, and that can sting repeatedly and painfully

2

slang : pentobarbital especially in a yellow capsule

—usually used in plural