wasp
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /wɒsp/
ipa: /wɑsp/
note: African-American Vernacular
ipa: /waps/
ipa: /wæsp/
rhymes: -ɒsp
Forms: form: wasps
form: waps
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *webʰ-
Proto-Indo-European *wóbʰseh₂
Proto-Germanic *wapsō
Proto-West Germanic *wapsu
Old English wæps
Middle English wasp
English wasp
Inherited from Middle English wasp, waspe, waps, from Old English wæsp, wæps, from Proto-West Germanic *wapsu, from Proto-Germanic *wapsō, from Proto-Indo-European *wóbʰseh₂ (“wasp”), from *webʰ- (“to weave”), referring to the insect's woven nests.
Compare Dutch wesp, German Wespe, Danish hveps. Metathesis of /s/ and /p/ was both a process of some generality within English (compare grasp from Middle English grapsen, and—affecting other plosives—ascian ~ acsian (“to ask”)) and common in the reflexes of *wóps-eh₂ (“wasp”) in particular, as the aforementioned Germanic cognates (and non-Germanic cognates like Latin vespa) evince.
Senses: glosses: Any of many types of stinging flying insect resembling a hornet.
topics: biology
entomology
natural-sciences
glosses: Any of the members of suborder Apocrita, excepting the ants (family Formicidae) and bees (clade Anthophila).
topics: biology
entomology
natural-sciences
glosses: Any of the members of suborder Apocrita, excepting the ants (family Formicidae) and bees (clade Anthophila).
Any of the members of the family Vespidae.
glosses: A person who behaves in an angry or insolent way, hence waspishly.
Derived terms: word: red wasp
word: waspie
word: waspish
word: wasplike
word: Wasps Nest
word: wasp waist
word: wasp-waisted
word: waspy
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
alt: Scelionidae spp.
word: baeine wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Deuteragenia ossarium
word: bone-house wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Braconidae spp.
word: braconine wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Chalcidoidea spp.
word: chalcid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Ampulicidae spp.
word: cockroach wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Vespula vulgaris
word: common wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Chrysididae spp.
word: cuckoo wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Sphecidae spp.
word: digger wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Encyrtidae spp.
word: encyrtid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Evaniidae spp.
word: ensign wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Dolichovespula media
word: Euro wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Agaonidae spp.
word: fig wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Stephanidae spp.
word: crown wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Cynipidae spp.
word: gall wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Vespula germanica
word: German wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Chrysididae spp.
word: gold wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: honey wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
alt: Stictia carolina
word: horse guard wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Ichneumonidae spp.
word: ichneumon wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Ampulex compressa
word: jewel wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Symphyta spp.
word: leaf wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Megalyridae spp.
word: long-tailed wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Eumeninae spp.
word: mason wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: media wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Dolichovespula media
word: median wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
alt: Larra spp.
word: mole cricket wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: mud wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
alt: Mutillidae spp.
word: mutillid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: oak rough bulletgall wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Vespidae spp.
word: paper wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Pelecinidae spp.
word: pelecinid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Platygastroidea spp.
word: platygastrid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Vespidae spp.
word: pollen wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Eumeninae spp.
word: potter wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: ringed paper wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
english: genus Ammophila spp., in family Sphecidae, or tribe Bembicini, in family Crabronidae
translation: genus Ammophila spp., in family Sphecidae, or tribe Bembicini, in family Crabronidae
word: sand wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
alt: Scelionidae spp.
word: scelionid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
alt: Scolliidae spp.
word: scolliid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Chirodropida spp.
word: sea wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Vespinae spp.
word: social wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: solitary wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Ampulex dementor
word: soul-sucking wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Pompilidae spp.
word: spider wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: spider-hunting wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Stephanidae spp.
word: stephanid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Tiphiidae spp.
word: tiphiid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: two-spotted scoliid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Vespidae spp.
word: vespid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Vespoidea spp.
word: vespoid wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
word: umbrella wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Megalara garuda
word: warrior wasp
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Clytus arietis
word: wasp beetle
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
alt: Ctenuchini spp.
word: wasp moth
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Metoecus paradoxus
word: wasp-nest beetle
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
taxonomic: Argiope bruennichi
word: wasp spider
topics: insects
entomology
biology
natural-sciences
english: suborder Symphyta spp.
translation: suborder Symphyta spp.
word: wood wasp