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HORNET'S NEST
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Habitation for wasps or hornets
Synonyms:
hornet's nest; hornets' nest; wasp's nest; wasps' nest
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)
Hypernyms ("hornet's nest" is a kind of...):
nidus (a nest in which spiders or insects deposit their eggs)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A highly contentious or hazardous situation
Example:
talk of invading Iraq stirred up a political hornets' nest
Synonyms:
hornet's nest; hornets' nest
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("hornet's nest" is a kind of...):
situation (a complex or critical or unusual difficulty)
