• IPA: /stɪŋ/

sting (plural stings)

1. A bump left on the skin after having been stung.
2. A bite by an insect.
3. A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
4. A sharp, localised pain primarily on the epidermis
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, William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [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.
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.
    • Bible, 1 Corinthians xv. 56

      The sting of death is sin.

12. A goad; incitement.
13. The concluding point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.

• (pointed portion of an insect) stinger

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

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

• Spanish: punzada

• German: verdeckte Operation
• Spanish: trampa

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

1. (ambitransitive) To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.

   Right so came out an adder of a little heathbush, and it stung a knight in the foot.

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

2. (transitive, of an insect) To bite.
3. (intransitive, sometimes figurative) To hurt, to be in pain.

   My hand stings after knocking on the door so long.

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) причиня́ть боль
• Spanish: picar, pinchar

• French: piquer
• German: stechen, beißen
• 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 of ST#English|ST