digger wasp

noun

any of numerous solitary wasps of the family Sphecidae, which excavate nests in soil, wood, etc., and provision them with prey paralyzed by stinging.

Origin of digger wasp

First recorded in 1840–50

Words nearby digger wasp

digestive tract, digestor, digged, digger, digger pine, digger wasp, diggers, digging stick, diggings, dight, digibox

Example sentences from the Web for digger wasp

  • Well, Mrs. Digger-Wasp stings one or more of these little knots, which we call ganglia.

    Little Busybodies |Jeanette Augustus Marks and Julia Moody

  • It is very wonderful that Mrs. Digger-Wasp knows where to sting a caterpillar in order to paralyze it and yet not kill it.

    Little Busybodies |Jeanette Augustus Marks and Julia Moody

British Dictionary definitions for digger wasp

digger wasp

noun

any solitary wasp of the families Sphecidae and Pamphilidae that digs nest holes in the ground, rotten wood, or a hollow stem and stocks them with live insects for the larvae