hornet

noun

hor·​net ˈhȯr-nət How to pronounce hornet (audio)
plural hornets
: any of the larger vespid wasps (genus Vespa) that usually build large papery nests in shrubs and trees see also european hornet, northern giant hornet, yellow-legged hornet compare bald-faced hornet

Examples of hornet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gladstone went online to apply for a seasonal data-analytics job tracking the hornets for the state’s department of agriculture. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024 Almost 30 percent died after being stung by an insect like a bee, hornet, or wasp. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, invasive hornets began showing up in Washington, posing a threat to the state’s bee population. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024 Between 2011 and 2021, a total of 788 individuals died from hornet, wasp and bee stings, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Inyoung Choi, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023 Yellow-legged hornets have unique nests comparable to traditional baldfaced hornets. Cole Sikes Communications and Marketing Specialist Alabama Cooperative Extension System, al, 16 Aug. 2023 In the United States, the hornets are considered an invasive species. Dan Nosowitz, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2024 By the time a final showdown snaps your suspension of disbelief and suggests there are bigger hornet’s nests to kick, The Beekeeper has crept out of the realm of pulpy B-movie thrills and falls just short of being a Bee movie dabbling in deep-state paranoia-mongering. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2024 Wasps and hornets, which like to eat the giant bees, can head straight to the hive and attack. Victoria Sayo Turner, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hornet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hernet, from Old English hyrnet; akin to Old High German hornaz hornet, Latin crabro

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hornet was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hornet

Cite this Entry

“Hornet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hornet. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hornet

noun
hor·​net ˈhȯr-nət How to pronounce hornet (audio)
: any of the larger wasps that live in colonies

More from Merriam-Webster on hornet

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