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
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Though scientists have been using tags that can be worn like a backpack by animals as small as hornets or bees for more than a decade, designing trackers that small that also work underwater is a bigger challenge.
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Moira Donovan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2025
There's no national database of deaths related to bee stings, but a 2023 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that on average 72 people died a year from hornet, wasp and bee stings.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 23 June 2025
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2011 to 2021, there were 788 deaths in the United States attributed to stings from hornets, wasps, and bees, averaging about 72 deaths per year.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
The three most commonly encountered are hornets, paper wasps and yellow jackets.
—Gabrielle Chenault, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
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Moira Donovan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2025
There's no national database of deaths related to bee stings, but a 2023 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that on average 72 people died a year from hornet, wasp and bee stings.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 23 June 2025
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2011 to 2021, there were 788 deaths in the United States attributed to stings from hornets, wasps, and bees, averaging about 72 deaths per year.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
The three most commonly encountered are hornets, paper wasps and yellow jackets.
—Gabrielle Chenault, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hornet
Cite this Entry
“Hornet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hornet. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hornet
noun
hor·net
ˈhȯr-nət 
: any of the larger wasps that live in colonies
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