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.
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.
Anything that gives acute pain, bodily or mental; as, the stings of remorse; the stings of reproach.
The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
To pierce or wound with a sting; as, bees will sting an animal that irritates them; the nettles stung his hands.
To pain acutely; as, the conscience is stung with remorse; to bite.
a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung; "the sting of death"; "he felt the stinging of nettles"
a mental pain or distress; "a pang of conscience"
a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin
cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort; "The sun burned his face"
deliver a sting to; "A bee stung my arm yesterday"
saddle with something disagreeable or disadvantageous; "They stuck me with the dinner bill"; "I was stung with a huge tax bill"
cause a stinging pain; "The needle pricked his skin"
cause an emotional pain, as if by stinging; "His remark stung her"
a puncture wound made by insects or marine animals
All bees, except drones, have a sting to help defend themselves against enemies. However, not all stings are the same. Only female bees have poison glands on their sting. The queen's sting is straight and has no barbs, allowing her to sting more than one victim. She only stings rival queens and does not die after using her sting. The worker's sting, however, has barbs and cannot be withdrawn from the body of the enemy. It is ripped away from the body of the bee, causing her to die shortly after stinging. The worker bee will only sting if she believes she or her colony is in danger. Drones, or male bees, do not have a sting. It is more common to be stung by a wasp or yellow jacket than a honeybee.
The defense organism of a bee. A worker bee will only sting if she believes her colony is in danger.
An organ belonging exclusively to female insects developed from egg laying mechanisms, used to defend the colony; modified into a piercing shaft through which venom is injected.
the modified ovipositor of a worker honey bee used as a weapon of offense.