Polistes

noun

a genus of Vespidae

• Syn: ↑genus Polistes

• Hypernyms: ↑arthropod genus

• Member Holonyms: ↑Vespidae, ↑family Vespidae

• Member Meronyms: ↑Polistes annularis

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\\pōˈliˌstēz\ noun

Etymology: New Latin, from Greek polistēs founder of a city, from polizein to build a city, from polis city + -izein -ize — more at police

1. capitalized : an extensive genus of social wasps that have a spindle-shaped abdomen and wings which fold like a fan, are mostly black with yellow or brown markings, and make nests consisting of a single comb of papery material suspended by a peduncle and having no envelope

2. plural polistes : any wasp of the genus Polistes