horntail

[ hawrn-teyl ]

noun

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

horntail

/ ˈhɔːnˌteɪl /

noun

1. 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 trees Also calledwood wasp

Word History and Origins

Origin of horntail¹

First recorded in 1880–85; horn + tail ¹

Example Sentences

The larva soon finds its victim, the grub of the Pigeon Horntail, and lives on it to its destruction.

From Project Gutenberg