A sharp, pointed organ that an insect or animal uses to inject venom, or a sharp reply that hurts someone's feelings.
From 'sting' + '-er' suffix. 'Sting' comes from Old English 'stingan' (to stab/pierce). The -er suffix means 'one who does' or 'thing that does.' The metaphorical meaning came from the literal pain of being stung.
Not all stingers inject venom—some insects just use them for laying eggs, but we still call them stingers because the sharp pain of being stung is what humans remember!
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