wasp
[ wosp ]
/ wɒsp /
Save This Word!
noun
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.
a person who is snappish or petulant.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Origin of wasp
before 900; Middle English waspe,Old English wæsp, metathetic variant of wæps, itself variant of wæfs, akin to Dutch wesp,German Wespe,Latin vespa
OTHER WORDS FROM wasp
wasplike, adjectiveOther definitions for wasp (2 of 3)
WASP1
[ wosp ]
/ wɒsp /
noun
a member of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, an organization disbanded in 1944.
Other definitions for wasp (3 of 3)
WASP2
or Wasp
[ wosp ]
/ wɒsp /
noun
a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant.
a member of the privileged, established white upper middle class in the U.S.
adjective
Origin of WASP
2First recorded in 1955–60
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use wasp in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for wasp (1 of 2)
wasp
/ (wɒsp) /
noun
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 stingingSee also potter wasp, hornet Related adjective: vespine
any of various solitary hymenopterans, such as the digger wasp and gall wasp
Derived forms of wasp
wasplike, adjectivewaspy, adjectivewaspily, adverbwaspiness, nounWord Origin for wasp
Old English wæsp; related to Old Saxon waspa, Old High German wefsa, Latin vespa
British Dictionary definitions for wasp (2 of 2)
Wasp
WASP
/ (wɒsp) /
n acronym for (in the US)
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
Derived forms of Wasp
Waspy, adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for wasp
WASP
An acronym for “white Anglo-Saxon Protestant” — a member of what many consider to be the most privileged and influential group in American society.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.