wasps' nest
- noun
- /ˈwɑːspz nɛst/
:
nido de avispas
- A wasps' nest can be dangerous if disturbed, so it's best to call a professional.
Examples
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Last summer, there was a wasps' nest in the garden shed that we had to remove.
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We found a large wasps' nest under the eaves of the roof.
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I found a wasps' nest in the attic.
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The wasps' nests are usually hidden in trees.
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A wasps' nest can be dangerous if disturbed, so it's best to call a professional.
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Last summer, there was a wasps' nest in the garden shed that we had to remove.
-
We found a large wasps' nest under the eaves of the roof.
Synonyms
1
3.7
A home made from chewed wood that wasps build to hold many insects
1
4.5
A nest made of paper-like material by wasps where they live
1
4.1
A home built by hornets or wasps where they raise their young
Surface Forms
Morphology
wasps' + nest
The meaning 'a structure built by wasps or hornets' is directly and literally composed from 'wasps' (the insects, here in the possessive/plural form) + 'nest' (a structure animals make). The possessive plural simply signals ownership and the construction is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will understand it.
Etymology
Wasps' nest comes from the real home that wasps' and nest describe: the insects chew wood into thin layers to make a paper-like ball or hanging pocket where they live and raise their young. Because this is where they keep and guard their young and can become angry if disturbed, a wasps' nest is 'dangerous', so the phrase names the insects' home and warns of a possible hazard.