/ves"pid/ , n.
1. any of numerous, mostly colonial, nest-building wasps of the family Vespidae, as the yellow jackets, hornets, and mason wasps.
adj.
2. belonging or pertaining to the family Vespidae.
[ 1895-1900; Vespidae, equiv. to Vesp ( a ) a genus (L: WASP) + -idae -ID 2 ]