Hornets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of large social wasp known for its potent sting and aggressive behavior, often nesting in trees or man-made structures
2. An insect that plays a role in ecosystems by preying on other pests and pollinating plants
3. A nickname for various sports teams, deriving from the insect's fierce nature and communal organization

Etymology: The plural "hornets" is simply the regular form of "hornet," and the singular carries a surprisingly literal idea: the insect was named for its horns, which were its antennae. The Proto-Indo-European root *ḱerh₂-, meaning "horn," gave rise to a word meaning "the one with horns," and that same root turns up in Latin "crabro" (hornet) and in Welsh "creyryn" (gadfly), suggesting how widely the image of horned insects spread across the ancient languages of Europe. The English form traveled through the Germanic branch. Old English had "hyrnetu" and "hyrnete," which descended from a Proto-West Germanic form related to German "Hornisse." Over time the name was reshaped in Middle English into "hernet," and the modern spelling with its "o" settled in later. The insect's name thus preserves a very old description of its face, not its sting, which is the feature most people would remember first.

Synonyms: wasps