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.

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