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hornets

  • plural
    of hornet.
    hornet
    noun
    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.

Example Sentences

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Asian hornets spread through Europe after arriving in southern France in 2004, having reportedly hitched a ride in a consignment of pottery from Asia.

From BBC Jul. 23, 2026

Annelotte Baas-Jehan, Invasive Non-Native Species Policy & Coordination Officer, said volunteers had been key to capturing hornets.

From BBC Jul. 23, 2026

The hallways lead to more hallways, the overhead fluorescents whine like hornets.

From Los Angeles Times May 28, 2026

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 Feb. 19, 2026

All of the sun bugs, the flies, the dragonflies, the wasps, the hornets, went home.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck