ichneumon wasp

noun

variants or less commonly ichneumon fly
: any of a large family (Ichneumonidae) of brown or black hymenopterous insects that have a slender body and long ovipositor and whose larvae are parasites of the larvae and pupae of various insects

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ichneumon wasp was in 1671

Dictionary Entries Near ichneumon wasp

Cite this Entry

“Ichneumon wasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ichneumon%20wasp. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ichneumon wasp

noun
ich·​neu·​mon wasp
ik-ˈn(y)ü-mən-
: any of a large group of insects that are related to wasps and whose larvae are usually parasites inside the bodies of other insect larvae

called also ichneumon fly

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!