yellow jacket

noun

plural yellow jackets
1
or yellowjacket plural yellowjackets : any of various small vespid wasps (genus Vespula and Dolichovespula) typically with abdomens marked with yellow and black that build nests in the ground or less commonly in aerial locations (such as the eaves of buildings), that usually reach a length of up to .5 inches (1.3 centimeters), and that can sting repeatedly and painfully
2
slang : pentobarbital especially in a yellow capsule
usually used in plural

Examples of yellow jacket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Pitt, on the other hand, went for an all-yellow look, wearing a yellow jacket over a white shirt, along with flared yellow trousers and black sunglasses. Lori A Bashian Fox News, Fox News, 14 Sep. 2024 In a scene out of biblical end-times, yellow jackets swarmed in the days after the storm — displaced after falling trees and floodwaters destroyed their nests. Kim Dinan, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024 The surge of stings from yellow jackets, bees and other insects has prompted the state health department to buy Benadryl and epinephrine injections as aid groups also work to acquire the medications and get them to those in the affected areas. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 6 Oct. 2024 The Summary Flooding in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene has led to swarms of yellow jackets. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for yellow jacket 

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of yellow jacket was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near yellow jacket

Cite this Entry

“Yellow jacket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yellow%20jacket. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

yellow jacket

noun
: any of various small social wasps with yellow markings that commonly nest in the ground and can sting repeatedly and painfully

Medical Definition

yellow jacket

noun
1
or yellowjacket : any of various small, social wasps (genus Vespula and Dolichovespula of the family Vespidae) typically with abdomens marked with yellow and black that build nests in the ground or less commonly in aerial locations (as the eaves of buildings), that aggressively defend their nests, and that can sting repeatedly and painfully
2
slang : pentobarbital especially in a yellow capsule
usually used in plural

More from Merriam-Webster on yellow jacket

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