horntail

1 9.5

An insect like a wasp with a long tail that lays eggs in wood

noun
/ˈhɔrnˌteɪl/

: horntail

The horntail is often found in forests.

Examples

Scientists studied the life cycle of the horntail to understand its impact on trees.
I spotted a horntail while hiking yesterday.
The horntail drills into tree trunks to lay its eggs safely inside the wood.
A large horntail was spotted near the fallen log in the forest.
The horntail insect is known for its unique horn-shaped tail and is often found in wooded areas.
My garden was infested by horntails that laid eggs in the rotting wood of the fence.
When hiking in the forest, we spotted a horntail buzzing around a decaying tree trunk.

Surface Forms

horntail singular

horntails plural

Morphology

horntail = horn + tail (semi-transparent) = horn + tail

While the components 'horn' and 'tail' are clear, the specific meaning of a wasp-like insect is not directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

The word horntail is made from horn and tail because this wasp-like insect has a long 'horn-shaped' tail. That tail is used to lay eggs into wood, so the name horntail describes the insect and what it does.