Mid 19th century; earliest use found in The Zoologist: a miscellany of natural history. From scientific Latin Rhyssa, genus name from ancient Greek ῥυσός, ῥυσσός shrivelled, wrinkled, perhaps from the same base as ἐρύειν to drag, draw, and ῥυτήρ person who draws or stretches, further origin unknown + -σός, suffix forming adjectives, often those designating physical deformities.