yellow jacket
/'jelou'dʤækit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of social wasp: A small wasp, typically with yellow and black markings, that often builds its nest in the ground.
- A barbiturate drug: A sedative and hypnotic drug, specifically pentobarbital sodium, formerly sold under the brand name Nembutal.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Insect):
- Be careful when walking in the grass; there might be a yellow jacket nest.
- I got stung by a yellow jacket while gardening.
- Noun (Drug):
- The veterinarian used a yellow jacket to sedate the animal. (Note: This usage is dated and highly specific to the historical brand name.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in North American English to refer to the wasp. The drug usage is technical, historical, and largely obsolete in common speech.
- In informal contexts, "yellow jacket" can sometimes be used to refer to a yellow raincoat or similar garment, but this is not the primary meaning.
Variants and Related Words
- Yellowjacket: An alternative, often single-word, spelling for the insect.
- Wasp: The general category of insect to which a yellow jacket belongs.
- Hornet: A different, often larger, type of stinging insect.
- Pentobarbital: The generic pharmaceutical name for the drug referred to as a "yellow jacket".
Synonyms
- For the insect: Ground wasp.
- For the drug: Nembutal (brand name), pentobarbital.
Related Phrases
- Yellow jacket nest: The underground or sheltered home of these wasps.
- They had to call an exterminator to remove the yellow jacket nest from their yard.
Noun
- small yellow-marked social wasp commonly nesting in the ground
- a barbiturate (trade name Nembutal) used as a sedative and hypnotic and antispasmodic