1. Plural of aculeate; insects of the suborder Aculeata, characterized by a stinging apparatus, including wasps, bees, and ants.
Usage: technical; zoology

1. Third-person singular present tense of aculeate; to sting or prick with a sharp point.
Usage: rare; archaic

Examples

• Aculeates such as honeybees and wasps are found on every continent except Antarctica.
• The suborder Aculeates includes over 150,000 described species.
• Entomologists study aculeates to understand their complex social behaviors.
• Many aculeates have evolved sophisticated communication systems.
• The venom of certain aculeates is used in medical research.