Illustration of wasp
- wasp 1
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
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.
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
Nick Caruso, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024
Inside the ranch, Maggie Chenoweth (The Handmaid’s Tale’s Yvonne Strahovski) is capturing a wasp in a teacup to remove it from her son Arlo’s room.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
Due to nymph feeding patterns, honeydew may be found on nearby plants and other surfaces through the spring, which could attract other insects, such as wasps and butterflies.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 4 Oct. 2024
The female spider wasps will risk their lives to score a big win like this, as the spider's body will provide all the nutrients needed for her offspring back at her nest.
—New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wasp 
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Noun
Arlo reminds his mom about the wasp and the teacup.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024
Inside the ranch, Maggie Chenoweth (The Handmaid’s Tale’s Yvonne Strahovski) is capturing a wasp in a teacup to remove it from her son Arlo’s room.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
Due to nymph feeding patterns, honeydew may be found on nearby plants and other surfaces through the spring, which could attract other insects, such as wasps and butterflies.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 4 Oct. 2024
The female spider wasps will risk their lives to score a big win like this, as the spider's body will provide all the nutrients needed for her offspring back at her nest.
—New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wasp
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Dictionary Entries Near wasp
Cite this Entry
“Wasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasp. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wasp
1 of 2 noun
ˈwäsp 
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
: an American of northern European and Protestant background
—sometimes used disparagingly
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
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