殺人スズメバチ

Japanese

Kanji in this term
殺	人
さつ Grade: 5	じん Grade: 1
kan’on

Alternative spelling
殺人スズメバチ (kyūjitai)

Etymology

殺人 (“murder”) +‎ スズメバチ (“hornet”). From being a hornet; and its propensity of killing off colonies of honeybees and its ability to kill people, dozens of people a year in Japan.

Noun

殺(さつ)人(じん)スズメバチ • (satsujin suzumebachi) 

1. (informal) Japanese giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica)
2. (informal, by extension) Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia)

Synonyms

• 大雀蜂(おおすずめばち) (ōsuzumebachi)
• 大胡蜂(オオスズメバチ) (ōsuzumebachi)

Hypernyms

• 雀蜂(すずめばち) (suzumebachi)

Descendants

• English: murder hornet