- hornets'nest
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hor·nets' nest (hôrʹnĭts)
n.
A violent or highly contentious situation: “such diplomatic hornets' nests as [the] expulsion of Asians from Uganda” (Christian Science Monitor).
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Universalium. 2010.
hornets'nest
Look at other dictionaries:
hornets' nest — A hornets nest is a violent situation or one with a lot of dispute. (If you create the problem, you stir up a hornets nest .) … The small dictionary of idiomes
hornets' nest — If you stir up a hornets nest, you do something very controversial that causes a lot of trouble and anger. A hornets nest is a violent situation or one with a lot of dispute. (If you create the problem, you stir up a hornets nest .)… … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
hornets' nest — noun 1. a highly contentious or hazardous situation talk of invading Iraq stirred up a political hornets nest • Syn: ↑hornet s nest • Hypernyms: ↑situation 2. habitation for wasps or hornets • Syn: ↑wasp s nest … Useful english dictionary
Hornets' Nest — Hornet s Nest is a 1970 Italian American war film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Rock Hudson, Sylva Koscina and Sergio Fantoni. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065850/] An American commando officer parachuted into Italy during World War II… … Wikipedia
hornets' nest — (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun A situation that presents difficulty, uncertainty, or perplexity: issue, problem, question. Informal: can of worms. See EASY … English dictionary for students
(a) hornets' nest — a ˈhornets nest idiom a difficult situation in which a lot of people get very angry • His letter to the papers stirred up a real hornets nest. Main entry: ↑hornetidiom … Useful english dictionary
stir up a hornets' nest — ► stir up a hornets nest provoke opposition or difficulties. Main Entry: ↑hornet … English terms dictionary
a hornets' nest — a situation fraught with difficulties or complications the move has stirred up a hornet s nest of academic fear and loathing … Useful english dictionary
nest — n. 1) to build, make a nest 2) a machine gun nest 3) (misc.) a hornets nest ( an angry reaction ) * * * [nest] make a nest a machine gun nest to build (misc.) a hornets nest ( an angry reaction ) … Combinatory dictionary
nest — 1 noun (C) 1 a hollow place made or chosen by a bird to lay its eggs in and to make its home in 2 a place where insects or small animals live: a field mouse s nest 3 a nest of spies/criminals/vice etc a place where there are many bad people or… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
