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