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stinger

noun
sting·​er | \ ˈstiÅ‹-É™r How to pronounce stinger (audio) \

Definition of stinger

1 : one that stings specifically : a sharp blow or remark
2 : a sharp organ (as of a bee, scorpion, or stingray) that is usually connected with a poison gland or otherwise adapted to wound by piercing and injecting a poison
3 : a cocktail usually consisting of brandy and white crème de menthe
4 medical : a usually sports-related injury of the brachial plexus marked by a painful burning sensation that radiates from the neck down the arm and is often accompanied by weakness or numbness of the affected area Arrington had missed the second quarter with a concussion and a stinger that left him, momentarily, without feeling in his left arm.— Peter King

— called also burner

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Examples of stinger in a Sentence

the stinger of a bee in the eighth round he delivered a stinger that knocked his opponent flat

Recent Examples on the Web

 Rookie safety Sheldrick Redwine left late in the game with a stinger and is day-to-day. — Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com, "Baker Mayfield struggles with backups; defense dominates in 13-12 loss to Bucs in 3rd preseason game," 24 Aug. 2019 In addition, LT Joe Staley (pectoral soreness) was held out of team drills and LB Dre Greenlaw (stinger) and TE Levine Toilolo (shoulder) did not practice. — Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, "49ers’ practice report: Garoppolo has INT-INT-INT-INT-INT stretch," 14 Aug. 2019 Often the only witnesses at the crime scene would be an angry mob with stingers. — Lucas Foglia, National Geographic, "Beekeepers hit hard by thefts of hives," 3 May 2019 Ant stingers are slimmer than the width of a human hair. — Sabine Galvis, Science | AAAS, "Slow-motion video reveals how ants deliver their painful venom," 2 Aug. 2019 Chris Davis then smoked a liner the other way with the infield shifting him to pull, but third baseman Mike Brosseau remained on the left side and caught Davis’ stinger. — Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles break up Rays’ combined perfect game bid in ninth, lose 4-1," 14 July 2019 Unlike honey bees, yellow jackets do not lose their stinger, so each insect can sting repeatedly and generally attack in large numbers. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Alabamians, Beware the Wasp ‘Super Nest’," 1 July 2019 Can’t tell if that little protruding nub is a stinger or not. — oregonlive.com, "Ask an Expert: Insect traveling through greenhouse is ‘looking for love’ won’t damage plants," 12 July 2019 The adult flies resemble small black wasps, minus a stinger, and are generally harmless to humans. — Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, "Maggots: A taste of food’s future," 3 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stinger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of stinger

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for stinger

stinger

noun
How to pronounce stinger (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of stinger

chiefly US : a pointed part on an insect and animal that is used to sting someone

See the full definition for stinger in the English Language Learners Dictionary

stinger

noun
sting·​er | \ ˈstiÅ‹-É™r How to pronounce stinger (audio) \

Kids Definition of stinger

: a sharp part of an animal (as a bee or scorpion) that is used to wound and often poison prey or an enemy

stinger

noun
sting·​er | \ ˈstiÅ‹-É™r How to pronounce stinger (audio) \

Medical Definition of stinger

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