a genus of the family Vespidae.
a member of this genus; a hornet.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hughes had blood in his mouth, and a fresh gap in his teeth wide enough to scoot a Vespa through, courtesy of a high stick to the mouth from Canada’s Sam Bennett.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026
Savannah Moon, the composer’s daughter, said in a phone interview that her father was riding his Vespa scooter when he died.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026
Still, he remained adventurous and enjoyed riding around San Pedro on his Vespa, Chelsea said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026
To investigate whether pond frogs evade or tolerate these potentially lethal stings, Sugiura presented individual adult frogs with workers of three hornet species, Vespa simillima, V. analis, and V. mandarinia, in controlled laboratory trials.
From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2025
Gary Drake stabbed a Swan Vespa against the bark to light it.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
