Sting n.
 1. Zool. Any sharp organ of offense and defense, especially when connected with a poison gland, and adapted to inflict a wound by piercing; as the caudal sting of a scorpion. The sting of a bee or wasp is a modified ovipositor. The caudal sting, or spine, of a sting ray is a modified dorsal fin ray. The term is sometimes applied to the fang of a serpent. See Illust. of Scorpion.
 2. Bot. A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secrets an acrid fluid, as in nettles. The points of these hairs usually break off in the wound, and the acrid fluid is pressed into it.
 3. Anything that gives acute pain, bodily or mental; as, the stings of remorse; the stings of reproach.
    The sting of death is sin.   --1 Cor. xv. 56.
 4. The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging. “The lurking serpent's mortal sting.”
 5. A goad; incitement.
 6. The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
 Sting moth Zool., an Australian moth (Doratifera vulnerans) whose larva is armed, at each end of the body, with four tubercles bearing powerful stinging organs.
 Sting ray. Zool. See under 6th Ray.
 Sting winkle Zool., a spinose marine univalve shell of the genus Murex, as the European species (Murex erinaceus). See Illust. of Murex.


 Win·kle n.  Zool. (a) Any periwinkle.  --Holland. (b) Any one of various marine spiral gastropods, esp., in the United States, either of two species of Fulgar (Fulgar canaliculata, and Fulgar carica).
 Note: ☞ These are large mollusks which often destroy large numbers of oysters by drilling their shells and sucking their blood.
 Sting winkle, a European spinose marine shell (Murex erinaceus).  See Illust. of Murex.

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