vespiary

American

[ves-pee-er-ee] / ˈvɛs piˌɛr i /

noun

plural

vespiaries

a nest of social wasps.

vespiary British

/ ˈvɛspɪərɪ /

noun

a nest or colony of social wasps or hornets

"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

Etymology

Origin of vespiary

1810–20; < Latin vesp ( a ) wasp + (ap)iary

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

VESPIARY, a nest of wasps Persons should be very wary Getting near a vespiary.

From Washington Post

The background pulsing of the dishwashers, the squeal of announcements that no one hears—it is a vespiary, the Hornet haven.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023