yellow hornet
- noun
- /ˈjɛloʊ ˈhɔrnɪt/
:
avispa amarilla
- The yellow hornet is known for its aggressive behavior.
Examples
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The sting of a yellow hornet can be quite painful if provoked.
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A yellow hornet built its nest near the back porch, which made everyone cautious.
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If you spot a yellow hornet, it's best not to disturb its ground nest.
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Have you ever seen a yellow hornet up close?
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While hiking, I spotted a yellow hornet building its nest among the roots of a tree.
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The yellow hornet is known for its aggressive defense of its nest when threatened.
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Careful not to disturb the yellow hornet, we watched it fly in and out of the ground nest.
Synonyms
1
3.6
A small aggressive wasp with yellow and black stripes that often builds nests in the ground
1
4.6
A small aggressive wasp with yellow and black stripes that stings painfully
A small wasp with yellow marks that nests underground in North America
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a hornet that is yellow' is directly derived from combining the adjective 'yellow' with the noun 'hornet'—an ordinary adjective + noun composition. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English modification rules, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Yellow hornet comes from a simple picture: a hornet with bright yellow marks that can give a painful 'sting'. That's why yellow hornet means 'a small wasp with yellow markings that often nests in the ground'.