yellow jacket

American

noun

any of several paper wasps of the family Vespidae, having black and bright yellow bands.
Slang. a yellow capsule of phenobarbital.

yellow jacket British

noun

any of several social wasps of the genus Vespa, having yellow markings on the body

"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 yellow jacket

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800

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.

"We are being told that the rescue mission will be completed soon but it has been five days," Negi, 18, who wore a torn yellow jacket, told Reuters on Thursday.

From Reuters • Nov. 16, 2023

In a small park along the mighty Androscoggin River, Leroy Walker Sr. stood in a neon yellow jacket at the base of a bell tower, his white hair thinning at the top of his head.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2023

She attended Monday’s protest wearing her company’s yellow jacket.

From Washington Times • Aug. 28, 2023

Iryna - a 48-year-old in a bright yellow jacket - kept watch nervously over her 14-year-old daughter Yelizeveta - who seemed to sink into her hoodie.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2022

Get yourself a yellow jacket; you ain't never gotta he alone.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

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