mud dauber

noun

: any of various wasps (especially family Sphecidae) that construct mud cells in which the female places an egg with spiders or insects paralyzed by a sting to serve as food for the larva

Examples of mud dauber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Solitary wasps, like mud daubers and cicada killers, hunt specific prey such as spiders or cicadas to store for their larvae. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 16 Aug. 2024 Paper Wasps Similar to mud daubers, paper wasps have a brownish color, although some may be found with red stripes. Rebecca Straus, Good Housekeeping, 28 Mar. 2023 Our tester found that the Dewalt had more than enough power to strip plant matter and stains from their concrete walk, clean the siding of their home, and remove mud dauber nests from the eaves. Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Nov. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mud dauber was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near mud dauber

Cite this Entry

“Mud dauber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mud%20dauber. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

mud dauber

noun
: any of various wasps that construct mud cells in which the female places an egg with paralyzed insects or spiders as food for the larva

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