Sting·ing a. Piercing, or capable of piercing, with a sting; inflicting acute pain as if with a sting, goad, or pointed weapon; pungent; biting; as, stinging cold; a stinging rebuke. -- Sting*ing*ly, adv.
Stinging cell. Zool. Same as Lasso cell, under Lasso.
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Sting, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stung (Archaic Stang ); p. pr. & vb. n. Stinging.]
1. To pierce or wound with a sting; as, bees will sting an animal that irritates them; the nettles stung his hands.
2. To pain acutely; as, the conscience is stung with remorse; to bite. “Slander stings the brave.”
3. To goad; to incite, as by taunts or reproaches.
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stinging
adj 1: causing or experiencing a painful shivering feeling as from
many tiny pricks; "a prickling blush of
embarrassment"; "the tingling feeling in a foot that
has gone to sleep"; "a stinging nettle"; "the stinging
windblown sleet" [syn: prickling, tingling]
2: having a sting or the capacity to sting; "stinging insects";
"stinging nettles" [ant: stingless]
3: (of speech) harsh or hurtful in tone or character; "cutting
remarks"; "edged satire"; "a stinging comment" [syn: cutting,
edged]
n : a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being
stung; "the sting of death"; "he felt the stinging of
nettles" [syn: sting]