Hornets Are Less Aggressive Than Their Reputation
A hornet is a large social wasp. Its reputation for aggression exceeds its behaviour, at least away from the nest.
A hornet is the largest of the social wasps. Its reputation outruns the evidence: European hornets are notably reluctant to sting away from the nest, and are less aggressive than common wasps. What earns the fear is the defence of the nest, where the response is collective and determined. The name comes from the same root as *horn*.
- A large social wasp. *A European hornet.*
- Hornets' nest — a source of trouble. *Stirring up a hornets' nest.*
- Mad as a hornet — very angry. *He was mad as a hornet.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hornet | A single hornet. |
| Plural | hornets | A nest of hornets. |
| Genus | Vespa | The genus Vespa. |
| Related | wasp | A common wasp. |
| Related | horn | A curved horn. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He stirred up a hornets' nest.Provoked widespread trouble.
- European hornets are relatively placid.Away from the nest.
- The name relates to horn.Probably from the antennae or the buzzing.
Hornet facts
- Largest wasps — European hornets reach around 35 mm
- Nest — built from chewed wood pulp, a form of paper
- Diet — they hunt other insects to feed their larvae
- Night flying — European hornets fly after dark, unusually for wasps
- Asian giant hornet — a much larger and more dangerous species
From Old English *hyrnetu*, related to *horn* — probably from the antennae, or from the sound.
Are hornets more dangerous than wasps?
Their sting is more painful because of the volume of venom, but European hornets are generally less inclined to sting.
Do hornets make paper?
Yes, in effect. They chew wood into a pulp and build nests from it, a technique that predates human papermaking by millions of years.