• IPA: /stɪŋ/

From Middle English stynge, sting, stenge, from Old English sting, stinċġ, from Proto-Germanic *stangiz.

sting (plural stings)

1. A bump left on the skin after having been stung.

   Look at this nasty hornet sting: it's turned blue!

2. A puncture made by an insect or arachnid in an attack, usually including the injection of venom.

   She died from a bee sting.

3. A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.

   Synonyms: stinger

4. A sharp, localised pain primarily on the epidermis

   That plant will give a little sting if you touch it.

5. (botany) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.
6. The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene ii]:

     the lurking serpent's mortal sting

7. (law enforcement) A police operation in which the police pretend to be criminals in order to catch a criminal.

   The criminal gang was caught after a successful sting.

8. A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.
9. A brief sequence of music used in films, TV, and video games as a form of scenic punctuation or to identify the broadcasting station.
10. A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.
11. (figurative) The harmful or painful part of something.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, 1 Corinthians 15:56 ↗, column 1:

      The ſting of death is ſinne, […]

12. A goad; incitement.
    • 1609, William Shakespeare, “A Louers Complaint”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC ↗:

      O most potential love! vow, bond, nor space, / In thee hath neither sting, knot, nor confine

13. The concluding point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.

• (pointed portion of an insect or arachnid) stinger

• French: piqûre
• German: Stich
• Italian: bozzo, gonfiore, escrescenza, protuberanza, rigonfiamento
• Russian: быть ужаленным
• Spanish: picadura

• French: piqûre
• German: Stich, Biss, Insektenstich, Insektenbiss, (bee) Bienenstich, (wasp) Wespenstich, (scorpion) Skorpionstich
• Italian: puntura
• Portuguese: ferroada (sting), picada (bite)
• Russian: укус насекомое
• Spanish: picadura

• Spanish: punzada

• German: verdeckte Operation
• Spanish: trampa

From Middle English stingen, from Old English stingan, from Proto-Germanic *stinganą.

sting (stings, present participle stinging; simple past stung, past participle stung)

1. (ambitransitive) To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.
2. (transitive, of an insect or arachnid) To puncture with the stinger.

   A mosquito stung me on the arm.

3. (intransitive, sometimes figurative) To hurt, to be in pain (physically or emotionally).

   My hand stings after knocking on the door so long.

   Still, it stung when a slightly older acquaintance asked me why I couldn't do any better.

4. (figurative) To cause harm or pain to.

   I thought I could park in front of the hotel, but they stung me for five pounds!

• German: stechen
• Russian: (transitive) причинять боль
• Spanish: picar, pinchar

• French: piquer
• German: stechen
• Italian: pungere
• Portuguese: picar, morder
• Russian: жа́лить
• Spanish: picar

sting (uncountable)

1. Storytelling in the context of a tabletop role-playing game, especially one published by White Wolf.

• Dungeon Mastering
• DMing
• GMing

1. Present participle and gerund of ST