wasp

¹ American  

[wosp] / wɒsp /

noun

1. any of numerous social or solitary hymenopterous insects of the Vespidae, Sphecidae, and allied families, generally having a long, slender body and narrow waist and, in the female, a stinger.

2. a person who is snappish or petulant.

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WASP ² American  

[wosp] / wɒsp /

Or Wasp

noun

1. a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

2. a member of the privileged, established white upper middle class in the U.S.

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adjective

1. Waspy.

WASP ³ American  

[wosp] / wɒsp /

noun

1. a member of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, an organization disbanded in 1944.

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wasp ¹ British  

/ wɒsp /

noun

1. any social hymenopterous insect of the family Vespidae, esp Vespula vulgaris ( common wasp ), typically having a black-and-yellow body and an ovipositor specialized for stinging See also potter wasp hornet

2. any of various solitary hymenopterans, such as the digger wasp and gall wasp

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Wasp ² British  

/ wɒsp /

acronym

1. White Anglo-Saxon Protestant: a person descended from N European, usually Protestant stock, forming a group often considered the most dominant, privileged, and influential in American society

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WASP Cultural  

1. An acronym for “w hite A nglo-S axon P rotestant” — a member of what many consider to be the most privileged and influential group in American society.

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Other Word Forms

• Waspy adjective
• waspily adverb
• waspiness noun
• wasplike adjective
• waspy adjective

Etymology

Origin of wasp¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English waspe, Old English wæsp, metathetic variant of wæps, itself variant of wæfs; cognate with Dutch wesp, German Wespe; akin to Latin vespa

Origin of WASP¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

The Alexandra Palace wasp is back - but where are they coming from?

From BBC

Some bees, wasps, and ants deliver extremely painful but non-lethal stings, while others inflict minimal pain despite possessing highly toxic venom.

From Science Daily

She perched her hands on either side of her enormous middle as if showing off a tiny wasp waist.

From Literature

He put on his cowboy hat, apologized for the pile of dead wasps on his office floor — the infestations barely register anymore — and walked over to the high school.

From Salon

At first glance, the potter wasp appears to be riding a broomstick.

From BBC