hornet

American  

[hawr-nit] / ˈhɔr nɪt /

noun

1. any large, stinging paper wasp of the family Vespidae, as Vespa crabro giant hornet, introduced into the U.S. from Europe, or Vespula maculata bald-faced hornet, or white-faced hornet, of North America.

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hornet British  

/ ˈhɔːnɪt /

noun

1. any of various large social wasps of the family Vespidae, esp Vespa crabro of Europe, that can inflict a severe sting

2. a strongly unfavourable reaction (often in the phrase stir up a hornet's nest )

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hornet Idioms  

1. see mad as a hornet; stir up a hornet's nest.

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Etymology

Origin of hornet

First recorded before 900; Middle English harnete, Old English hyrnet(u); cognate with Old High German hornaz (becoming German Horniss ); akin to horn

Example Sentences

Curiously, I never really got angry at the North Koreans, on the assumption that if you kick the hornet’s nest and get stung, you can’t really blame the hornets.

From The Wall Street Journal

“But instead of destroying the file, you raised a whole hornet’s nest of mess.”

From Literature

When your mama learned he’d won it in a poker match, she was angry as a hornet.

From Literature

A frog with an unexpectedly strong resistance to venom has been identified, and it routinely eats hornets despite the insects' dangerous stingers.

From Science Daily

Then it will be Lavinia’s turn to be mad as a hornet—unless she discovers your clever scheme and, gentle as a lamb and sweet as a kitten, somehow persuades you to share.

From Literature

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