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# sting

verb (sting, stings, stung, stinging); noun (a sting, stings; a stinger)

«sting» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Of a bee, wasp, jellyfish or nettle: to hurt you by pushing a tiny sharp part or poison into your skin. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#m1)
2. A noun: the wound or pain made by this. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#m2)
3. To feel or cause a sharp burning pain: soap stings your eyes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#m3)
4. A noun: the sharp part of an insect that stings (also called a stinger). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#m4)
5. Of words: to hurt someone's feelings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#m5)

### In the lessons

In science: bees, wasps, scorpions, jellyfish and some plants (nettles) use stings to defend themselves. In safety: stay calm near bees, tell an adult about a sting, some people are allergic and need help fast. In stories a sting can be a sharp feeling of hurt or shame. Phrases: a bee sting, stung by a wasp, stinging nettles, a sting in the tail.

### Examples

- A bee stung me on the finger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x1)
- The wasp sting made my arm red and swollen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x2)
- Shampoo stings if it gets in your eyes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x3)
- Stinging nettles grow by the path, so wear long trousers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x4)
- Jellyfish can sting you at the beach in Australia. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x5)
- Some people are allergic to bee stings and need a doctor quickly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x6)
- A honeybee dies after it stings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x7)
- Her mean words stung more than the fall. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x8)
- The Wasps said that they would keep guard and drive off thieves with their stings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/#x9)

### Note

Irregular verb: sting, stung, stung — not «stinged». A bee loses its sting and dies; a wasp can sting again. Vinegar or rubbing helps only some stings; always tell an adult. A sting is not a bite: mosquitoes and dogs bite, bees and wasps sting.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «sting» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sting/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«sting» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sting.html) on Mova free.