| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
sting (stɪŋ) ![]() | |
| —vb , stings, stinging, stung | |
| 1. | (of certain animals and plants) to inflict a wound on (an organism) by the injection of poison |
| 2. | to feel or cause to feel a sharp mental or physical pain |
| 3. | (tr) to goad or incite (esp in the phrase sting into action) |
| 4. | informal (tr) to cheat, esp by overcharging |
| —n | |
| 5. | a skin wound caused by the poison injected by certain insects or plants |
| 6. | pain caused by or as if by the sting of a plant or animal |
| 7. | a mental pain or pang: a sting of conscience |
| 8. | a sharp pointed organ, such as the ovipositor of a wasp, by which poison can be injected into the prey |
| 9. | the ability to sting: a sharp sting in his criticism |
| 10. | something as painful or swift of action as a sting: the sting of death |
| 11. | a sharp stimulus or incitement |
| 12. | botany another name for stinging hair |
| 13. | slang a swindle or fraud |
| 14. | slang a trap set up by the police to entice a person to commit a crime and thereby produce evidence |
| 15. | sting in the tail an unexpected and unpleasant ending |
| [Old English stingan; related to Old Norse stinga to pierce, Gothic usstangan to pluck out, Greek stakhus ear of corn] | |
| 'stinging | |
| —adj | |
| 'stingingly | |
| —adv | |
| 'stingingness | |
| —n | |
sting (stĭng)
v. stung (stŭng), sting·ing, stings
To pierce or wound painfully with or as if with a sharp-pointed structure or organ, as that of certain insects.
To introduce venom by stinging.
To cause to feel a sharp smarting pain by or as if by pricking with a sharp point.
The act of stinging.
The wound or pain caused by or as if by stinging.
The venom apparatus of a stinging organism.
sting definition
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