wasp

wasp — noun

1. a flying insect with a narrow waist and yellow-and-black stripes that can inflic

1.名詞A2
釋義

a flying insect with a narrow waist and yellow-and-black stripes that can inflict a painful sting.

例句

A wasp flew into the kitchen and landed on the open jam jar.

Isabela got stung by a wasp while picking plums in the garden.

passive: get stung by a wasp

同義詞
  • hornet

    a larger, more aggressive type of wasp with a thicker body

文法句型

a/the wasp

wasp + verb

get stung by a wasp

用法筆記

Often confused with bees. Wasps have a narrower waist and smoother body, and unlike honeybees, a wasp can sting more than once.

常見錯誤

❌A bee stung me on the arm' (when it was actually a wasp).
✅A wasp stung me on the arm.
💡Wasps have thin waists and smooth bodies; bees are rounder, hairier, and usually die after stinging.

2. a white American from a Northern European Protestant background who is considere

2.名詞B2
釋義

a white American from a Northern European Protestant background who is considered to belong to the most influential and wealthy group in U.S. society.

例句

The novel explores the quiet power of old WASP families in Boston.

collocation: old WASP families

Many WASP families have shaped American politics and finance for generations.

同義詞
  • blue blood

    refers to aristocratic heritage without specifying religion or ethnicity; has a more European feel

  • establishment

    emphasises institutional power and the existing social order rather than ethnic background

文法句型

a/the WASP

WASP + noun (family, elite, values, culture)

用法筆記

Always written in uppercase (WASP or W.A.S.P.) because it is an acronym. The term is often used critically or analytically to describe a social group seen as holding disproportionate power.

常見錯誤

❌He is a white American from California' (when describing his WASP identity).
✅He comes from an old WASP family in New England.
💡WASP refers specifically to a cultural subgroup with Northern European Protestant heritage, not to any white American.