Definition

1. 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

1. small yellow-marked social wasp commonly nesting in the ground
2. a barbiturate (trade name Nembutal) used as a sedative and hypnotic and antispasmodic