What does "stinger" mean?
A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
Stinger
/ˈstɪŋ.ɚ/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
- Grammar: stinger is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aculeus, cut, dart, fang.
- Usage evidence: Bees, like wasps, have a stinger.
How to use "stinger"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stinger" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "stinger" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "stinger" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "stinger" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "stinger" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aculeus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "stinger", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
- 2 The FIM-92 portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile.
- 3 a sharp stinging blow wordnet
- 4 Anything that is used to sting, as a means of attack.
"The thing stopped then and looked at me a moment as much as to say: "Why this thing has a stinger! I must be careful." And then it reached out its long neck and opened its mighty jaws and grabbed for me; but I wasn't there."
- 5 a sharp organ of offense or defense (as of a wasp or stingray or scorpion) often connected with a poison gland wordnet
Show 16 more definitions
- 6 Anything, such as an insult, that stings mentally or psychologically.
- 7 a portable low altitude surface-to-air missile system using infrared guidance and an impact fuse; fired from the shoulder wordnet
- 8 A cocktail of brandy and crème de menthe.
- 9 a remark capable of wounding mentally wordnet
- 10 A portable bed of nails to puncture car tires, used by police and military forces.
- 11 a cocktail made of made of creme de menthe and brandy wordnet
- 12 A minor neurological injury of the spine characterized by a shooting or stinging pain down one arm, followed by numbness and weakness.
- 13 A station identifier on television or radio played between shows.
- 14 A scene shown on films or television shows after the credits.
- 15 A nonlethal grenade using rubber instead of shrapnel, more commonly called a sting grenade. slang
- 16 A short musical phrase or chord used non-diegetically to dramatic or emphatic effect.
"The most commonly used tool in the horror score kit is the “sting” — a quick and loud jolt of sound that coincides with a frightening image or the attack of a killer or creature. “Stingers are a form of music that are unique to movies,” Young adds. “There’s no other venue of musicmaking that has a window of opportunity for writing these little splats of instrumental sound that exist for the sole purpose of getting the little girls in the audience to jump out of their seats. In two or three seconds, you have to do enough so that it isn’t melodrama, that it does the job and also it’s your signature.”"
- 17 A final note played at the end of a military march. slang
- 18 An extension cord. slang
- 19 A stinging nettle. West-Country, slang
- 20 Chironex fleckeri, an extremely venomous Australian box jellyfish.
- 21 An improvised heating element used to boil or heat water in prison. slang
Example
"Bees, like wasps, have a stinger."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "stinger"?
Common synonyms include: aculeus, cut, dart, fang, ident, jingle.
How do you use "stinger" in a sentence?
Bees, like wasps, have a stinger.
How do you pronounce "stinger"?
Pronounced /ˈstɪŋ.ɚ/.
Etymology
From sting + -er. Both figurative and literal senses appeared in the 16th century.