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Webster 1913 Edition

Sting

Sting

,
Noun.
[AS.
sting
a sting. See
Sting
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
(Zool.)
Any sharp organ of offense and defense, especially when connected with a poison gland, and adapted to inflict a wound by piercing; as the caudal sting of a scorpion. The sting of a bee or wasp is a modified ovipositor. The caudal sting, or spine, of a sting ray is a modified dorsal fin ray. The term is sometimes applied to the fang of a serpent. See Illust. of
Scorpion
.
2.
(Bot.)
A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secrets an acrid fluid, as in nettles. The points of these hairs usually break off in the wound, and the acrid fluid is pressed into it.
3.
Anything that gives acute pain, bodily or mental;
as, the
stings
of remorse; the
stings
of reproach.
The
sting
of death is sin.
1 Cor. xv. 56.
4.
The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
“The lurking serpent’s mortal sting.”
Shak.
5.
A goad; incitement.
Shak.
6.
The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
Sting moth
(Zool.)
,
an Australian moth (
Doratifera vulnerans
) whose larva is armed, at each end of the body, with four tubercles bearing powerful stinging organs.
–
Sting ray
.
(Zool.)
See under 6th
Ray
.
–
Sting winkle
(Zool.)
,
a spinose marine univalve shell of the genus Murex, as the European species (
Murex erinaceus
). See Illust. of
Murex
.

Sting

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Stung
(
Archaic
Stang
);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Stinging
.]
[AS.
stingan
; akin to Icel. & Sw.
stinga
, Dan.
stinge
, and probably to E.
stick
, v.t.; cf. Goth. us
stiggan
to put out, pluck out. Cf.
Stick
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
To pierce or wound with a sting;
as, bees will
sting
an animal that irritates them; the nettles
stung
his hands.
2.
To pain acutely;
as, the conscience is
stung
with remorse
; to bite.
“Slander stings the brave.”
Pope.
3.
To goad; to incite, as by taunts or reproaches.

Webster 1828 Edition

Sting

STING

,
Verb.
T.
pret. and pp. stung. Stang is obsolete. [G., to stick, to sting. We see that sting, is stick altered in orthography and pronunciation.]
1.
To pierce with the sharp pointed instrument with which certain animals are furnished, such as bees, wasps, scorpions and the like. Bees will seldom sting persons, unless they are first provoked.
2.
To pain acutely; as, the conscience is stung with remorse.
Slander stings the brave.

STING

,
Noun.
1.
A sharp pointed weapon or instrument which certain animals are armed by nature for their defense, and which they thrust from the hinder part of the body to pierce any animal that annoys or provokes them. In most instances, this instrument is a tube, through which a poisonous matter is discharged, which inflames the flesh, and in some instances proves fatal to life.
2.
The thrust of a sting into the flesh. The sting of most insects produces acute pain.
3.
Any thing that gives acute pain. Thus we speak of the stings of remorse; the stings of reproach.
4.
The point in the last verse; as the sting of an epigram.
5.
That which gives the principal pain, or constitutes the principal terror.
The sting of death is sin. 1 Corinthians 15.

Definition 2024

sting

sting

See also: STing

English

A wasp sting--a pointed portion of an insect

Noun

sting ‎(plural stings)

  1. A bump left on the skin after having been stung.
  2. A bite by an insect.
  3. A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
  4. A sharp, localised pain primarily on the epidermis
  5. (botany) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.
  6. The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
    • Shakespeare
      the lurking serpent's mortal sting
  7. (law enforcement) A police operation in which the police pretend to be criminals in order to catch a criminal.
  8. A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.
  9. A brief sequence of music used in films, TV as a form of punctuation in a dramatic or comedic scene. In certain videogames stings are used to predict immediate future actions or to illustrate a current tension or mood.
  10. A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.
    • 2001, T. J. Mueller, Fixed and Flapping Wing Aerodynamics for Micro Air Vehicle Applications:
      The balance is mounted externally on top of the wind tunnel test section. A sting connects the balance to the model.
  11. (figuratively) The harmful or painful part of something.
    • Bible, 1 Corinthians xv. 56
      The sting of death is sin.
    • 2011 January 19, Jonathan Stevenson, “Leeds 1 - 3 Arsenal”, in BBC:
      Just as it appeared Arsenal had taken the sting out of the tie, Johnson produced a moment of outrageous quality, thundering a bullet of a left foot shot out of the blue and into the top left-hand corner of Wojciech Szczesny's net with the Pole grasping at thin air.
  12. A goad; incitement.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
  13. The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
Synonyms
  • (pointed portion of an insect): stinger
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English stingen, from Old English stingan, from Proto-Germanic *stinganą. Compare Swedish and Icelandic stinga.

Verb

sting ‎(third-person singular simple present stings, present participle stinging, simple past stung or (rare, dialectal) stang, past participle stung)

  1. (transitive) To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.
    Right so came out an adder of a little heathbush, and it stung a knight in the foot.
    Still, it stung when a slightly older acquaintance asked me why I couldn't do any better.
  2. (transitive, of an insect) To bite.
  3. (intransitive, sometimes figurative) To hurt, to be in pain.
    My hand stings after knocking on the door so long.
    • 2011 January 11, Jonathan Stevenson, “West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC:
      But Birmingham were clearly stung by some harsh words from manager Alex McLeish at the break and within 15 minutes of the restart the game had an entirely different complexion.
  4. (figuratively) To cause harm or pain to.
    I thought I could park in front of the hotel, but they stung me for five pounds!
Derived terms
Translations

Anagrams

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From the verb stinge

Noun

sting n ‎(definite singular stinget, indefinite plural sting, definite plural stinga or stingene)

  1. a stitch (in sewing and surgery)
  2. stitch (pain in the side)

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From the verb stinge

Noun

sting m ‎(definite singular stingen, indefinite plural stingar or stinger, definite plural stingane or stingene)

  1. stitch (pain in the side)

sting n ‎(definite singular stinget, indefinite plural sting, definite plural stinga)

  1. a stitch (in sewing and surgery)

References

Old English

Etymology

From stingan.

Pronunciation

Noun

sting m

  1. sting, stinging (of an animal)

Romanian

Verb

sting

  1. first-person singular present tense form of stinge.
  2. first-person singular subjunctive form of stinge.
  3. third-person plural present tense form of stinge.

Swedish

Pronunciation

Verb

sting

  1. imperative of stinga.

Etymology

From Old English sting.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈstɪŋ/
  • Rhymes: -ɪŋ
  • IPA(key): /stiŋɡ/

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