Sting & bite
I've been stung by a wasp
We've been bitten by mosquitoes
Can we reverse the verb in these two sentences?
I've been bitten by a wasp
We've been stung by mosquitoes
If no, why? And more generally, is there any difference of meaning between sting and bite in the case of insects or snakes?
In English we wouldn't interchange those two words; we use "bite" if the insect uses its mouth, and "sting" if the insect has a body part especially designed for stinging (such as the tip of a scorpion's tail or the back end of a wasp). Snakes bite with their fangs; scorpions sting with their tails. Mosquitoes don't have teeth, but they're sucking blood with whatever it is they use for a mouth; wasps sting with their tails.
May 24, 2015
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A bite happens when an animal or insect uses their mouth only. In the case of the mosquito, you have been bitten by its proboscis.
A sting can happen from the mouth, or any other part. In the case of the wasp, you have been stung by the wasp's barb.
May 24, 2015
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