stinger

American  

[sting-er] / ˈstɪŋ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that stings.

2. an animal or plant having a stinging organ.

3. the sting or stinging organ of an insect or other animal.

4. Informal. a stinging blow, remark, or the like.

5. a cocktail made of brandy and crème de menthe.

6. Military. Stinger, a U.S. Army shoulder-launched, heat-seeking antiaircraft missile with a range of 3 miles (5 kilometers).

7. British Informal. a highball of whiskey and soda.

8. Television.

   1. a clip appearing during or after the closing credits of a show or movie.

      The next season’s new cast member appears briefly in the stinger.

   2. sting.

---

Stinger ¹ British  

/ ˈstɪŋə /

noun

1. a device, consisting of a long track of raised spikes, laid across a road by police to puncture the tyres of escaping vehicles

---

ˈstinger ² British  

/ ˈstɪŋə /

noun

1. a person, plant, animal, etc, that stings or hurts

2. any marine creature that stings its victims, esp the box jellyfish

3. Also: stengah.  a whisky and soda with crushed ice

---

stinger Scientific  

/ stĭng′ər /

1. A sharp stinging organ, such as that of a bee, scorpion, or stingray. Stingers usually inject venom.

---

Etymology

Origin of stinger

First recorded in 1545–55; sting + -er ¹

Example Sentences

This stinger takes place back at the hub known as the Gateway Galaxy.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The stinger comes when Alfredo’s father convinces Violetta to leave his son to free the family from scandal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Smaller than scorpions and lacking a stinger and tail, pseudoscorpions live in a range of habitats globally and are associated with a wide variety of parasitic organisms including nematodes.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2024

“We complement each other,” said Davis, who played through a shoulder stinger in Game 5 to finish with 17 points and 15 rebounds.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

She was slender and had brown hair, which she wore in a long, thin braid that went right down to her hips and looked like a long stinger.

From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke