HORNTAIL

Etymology

Noun

horntail (plural horntails)

The wood wasp.

Source: Wiktionary


Horn"tail`, n. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Any one of family (Uroceridæ) of large hyminopterous insects, allied to the sawflies. The larvæ bore in the wood of trees. So called from the long, stout ovipositors of the females.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

25 November 2024

ONCHOCERCIASIS

(noun) infestation with slender threadlike roundworms (filaria) deposited under the skin by the bite of black fleas; when the eyes are involved it can result in blindness; common in Africa and tropical America


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.

coffee icon