wasp

[ wosp ]

/ wɒsp /

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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.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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, adjective

Other 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 /

Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive.

noun

a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

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

adjective

Waspy.

Origin of WASP

First recorded in 1955–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wasp in a sentence

“WASPs are like the Alawites of America, a rare breed,” says the now 70-year-old Sheehy.
Gail Sheehy Books Passage to the Past|Lizzie Crocker|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scott did his best to play his role as the Walter White of the WASPs.
Preppy Drug Bust High on Hype|Christopher Moraff|April 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Wasps, birds, rodents, small mammals, and snakes will all dine on the Magicicadas of Brood II.
Can You Eat Cicadas? Yes, and Here’s How|Brian Ries|May 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For middle-aged WASPs like me, the pace of change can be deeply unsettling.
When In Doubt, Mumble—Dynamic Inaction May Be Our Best Hope|Joe McLean|April 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Nearly empty of Wasps, however, are electric-car manufactories, Internet startups, and the X Games.
The Last of the Wasps|Tad Friend|September 27, 2009|DAILY BEAST
At Sonepur flies having failed, wasps have come forth to warn the public and the authorities, but yet to no purpose.
Third class in Indian railways|Mahatma Gandhi
So they began to build an iron-clad which they thought could drive these wooden wasps away.
Stories of Our Naval Heroes|Various
There were not twenty houses left standing, not a dozen houses in that wasps' nest.
Maupassant Original Short Stories (180), Complete|Guy de Maupassant
They filled the shells of gourds with hornets and wasps and placed them about the defences of their town.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 5|Hubert Howe Bancroft
Forth from the school-house door burst a dozen shouting lads, as wasps from the hole of their nest from a charge of powder.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete|George Meredith

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, noun

Word 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, adjective

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

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.