オオスズメバチ

お

す

ず

め

ば

ち

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

Asian giant hornet; yak-killer hornet

usually written using kana alone

Refers specifically to Vespa mandarinia, the world's largest hornet. The name 'yak-killer hornet' is a colloquial English term.

Kanji

大large, big
雀sparrow
蜂bee, wasp, hornet

Related words

スズメバチ
スズメバチ is the general term for hornets (genus Vespa), while オオスズメバチ specifically refers to the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia).

Written forms

オオスズメバチ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this species name; usually written in kana.
大おおスズメバチ
Mixed kanji-katakana spelling; less common than the pure katakana form.
大おお雀すずめ蜂ばち
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Compound of 大 (おお, 'large') and スズメバチ (すずめばち, 'hornet'). The exact origin of スズメバチ is uncertain, but it may be related to 雀蜂 (すずめばち), literally 'sparrow bee', possibly referring to its size or predatory behavior.