hornets' nest
1
4.1
- noun
- /ˈhɔrnɪts nɛst/
:
nido de avispas
- When we hiked in the woods, we saw a hornets' nest high up in the branches.
Examples
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When I was younger, my brother and I were camping at this place called Caffey's inlet, and there was a big-ass hornet's nest down by the water.
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But, hornets' nests grow on trees sir.
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The children were warned to stay away from the hornets' nest they found in the garden.
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After disturbing the hornets' nest, we quickly retreated to avoid getting stung.
Synonyms
1
4.5
A nest made of paper-like material by wasps where they live
1
3.7
A home made from chewed wood that wasps build to hold many insects
A structure made by wasps or hornets where they live and raise young
Surface Forms
Morphology
hornets' + nest
The figurative meaning 'a situation full of trouble or controversy' maps directly onto the literal image of a nest full of hornets (dangerous, easily disturbed). This is a straightforward compositional metaphor that a B1 learner who knows 'hornet' and 'nest' can readily infer, so the expression is transparently built from its parts.
Etymology
Hornets' nest is the home made by hornets from a paper-like material, where they lay eggs and raise young. It is full of stinging insects and very dangerous to disturb.