hornet

Meaning

Noun

• A large wasp, of the genus Vespa, having a brown-and-yellow-striped body and the ability to inflict a serious sting.
• A person who pesters with petty but ceaseless attacks.

Origin

• From Middle English hernet, from Old English hyrnetu, hyrnete, from Proto-Germanic *hurznutō (compare German Hornisse), alteration of Proto-Germanic *hursulǭ (compare Dutch horzel), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂sro-, from *ḱerh₂- (compare Welsh creyryn ("gadfly"), Latin crābrō ("hornet"), Lithuanian širšė ("wasp"), Old Church Slavonic сръшень ("hornet"), Albanian grerë, grenzë).