WASP

¹

[wosp]

noun

1. a member of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, an organization disbanded in 1944.

WASP

²

Or Wasp

[wosp]

noun

1. a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

2. a member of the privileged, established white upper middle class in the U.S.

adjective

1. Waspy.

wasp

³

[wosp]

noun

1. any of numerous social or solitary hymenopterous insects of the Vespidae, Sphecidae, and allied families, generally having a long, slender body and narrow waist and, in the female, a stinger.

2. a person who is snappish or petulant.

Wasp

¹

/ wɒsp /

acronym

1. White Anglo-Saxon Protestant: a person descended from N European, usually Protestant stock, forming a group often considered the most dominant, privileged, and influential in American society

wasp

²

/ wɒsp /

noun

1. any social hymenopterous insect of the family Vespidae, esp Vespula vulgaris ( common wasp ), typically having a black-and-yellow body and an ovipositor specialized for stinging See also potter wasp hornet

2. any of various solitary hymenopterans, such as the digger wasp and gall wasp

WASP

1. An acronym for “w hite A nglo-S axon P rotestant” — a member of what many consider to be the most privileged and influential group in American society.

Other Word Forms

• wasplike adjective
• Waspy adjective
• waspiness noun
• waspy adjective
• waspily adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of WASP¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Origin of WASP²

First recorded before 900; Middle English waspe, Old English wæsp, metathetic variant of wæps, itself variant of wæfs; cognate with Dutch wesp, German Wespe; akin to Latin vespa

Word History and Origins

Origin of WASP¹

Old English wæsp; related to Old Saxon waspa, Old High German wefsa, Latin vespa

Example Sentences

She perched her hands on either side of her enormous middle as if showing off a tiny wasp waist.

Read more on Literature

He put on his cowboy hat, apologized for the pile of dead wasps on his office floor — the infestations barely register anymore — and walked over to the high school.

Read more on Salon

At first glance, the potter wasp appears to be riding a broomstick.

Read more on BBC

One indicator of a possible tarantula sighting is a Tarantula hawk wasp buzzing around.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A radioactive wasp nest with radiation levels ten times of what is allowed under regulations was found at a facility that once produced parts for US nuclear weapons, federal officials said.

Read more on BBC