horntail

[ hawrn-teyl ]

/ ˈhɔrnˌteɪl /

noun

any of various wasplike insects of the family Siricidae, the females of which have a hornlike ovipositor.

Nearby words

horns of a dilemma, on the, hornsby, hornsby, rogers, hornstone, hornswoggle, horntail, hornworm, hornwort, hornwrack, horny, horny coral

Origin of horntail

First recorded in 1880–85; horn + tail¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for horntail

horntail

/ (ˈhɔːnˌteɪl) /

noun

any of various large wasplike insects of the hymenopterous family Siricidae, the females of which have a strong stout ovipositor and lay their eggs in the wood of felled treesAlso called: wood wasp

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012