1. 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 snake.
2. 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.
Source: OPTED, Project Gutenberg and the 1913 edition of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
wikipedia.org dumped 2003-03-17 with terodump