bee

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈbē 

1

: any of numerous hymenopterous insects (superfamily Apoidea) that differ from the related wasps especially in the heavier hairier body and in having sucking as well as chewing mouthparts, that feed on pollen and nectar, and that store both and often also honey see africanized bee, bumblebee, carpenter bee, honeybee, sweat bee

2

: an eccentric notion : fancy

beelike

ˈbē-ˌlīk 

adjective

bee

2 of 4

noun (2)

: the letter b

bee

3 of 4

noun (3)

: a gathering of people for a specific purpose

a quilting bee

BEE

4 of 4

abbreviation

bachelor of electrical engineering

Phrases

bee in one's bonnet

: bee entry 1 sense 2

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• caprice
• crank
• fancy
• freak
• humor
• kink
• maggot
• megrim
• notion
• vagary
• vagrancy
• whim
• whimsy
• whimsey

Examples of bee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Female honey bees serve as worker bees and queen bees, while male honey bees serve as drones. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 24 Apr. 2024

With a cocktail of honey and 72.6% black bee propolis (a resin-like material made by bees), this toner boasts anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024

Camera-wielding reporters zipped through the narrow aisles like bees, zooming in on faces and hands. —Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024

There’s a man called the Odysseus of Honey who travels around by boats getting fresh honey from the bees. —Mark Ellwood, Fortune Europe, 6 Apr. 2024

Then, when the sunlight re-appeared, the bees seemed disoriented, according to a paper published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America after the 2017 eclipse. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024

But while the setting was ideal, the conditions were not: The temperature reached nearly 100 degrees that day and lots of feisty bees were buzzing around the chefs’ workstations, which were not tented under the blazing sun. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024

Most of the world’s crops depend on honeybees and wild bees for pollination, according to a Rutgers University study. —Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024

The couple kept bees and began experimenting with mead. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English bēo; akin to Old High German bīa bee, Old Irish bech, Lithuanian bitis

Noun (3)

perhaps from English dialect been help given by neighbors, from Middle English bene prayer, boon, from Old English bēn prayer — more at boon entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1769, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bee

• Africanized bee
• as busy as a bee
• bee balm
• bee-eater
• bee fly
• bee in one's bonnet
• bee's knees
• bee-stung
• bee tree
• bumble bee
• busy as a bee
• busy bee
• carpenter bee
• have a bee in one's bonnet
• honey bee
• humble-bee
• killer bee
• spelling bee
• sweat bee
• the bee's knees

Kids Definition

bee

1 of 2 noun

ˈbē 

: any of numerous insects (as the honeybees and bumblebees) that feed on pollen and nectar and sometimes produce honey and that differ from the wasps especially in the heavier hairier body and in having sucking as well as chewing mouthparts

bee

2 of 2 noun

: a gathering of people for a specific purpose

a quilting bee

Etymology

Noun

Old English bēo "bee"

Noun

perhaps from a dialect word been "help given by neighbors," derived from Old English bēn "prayer"

Medical Definition

bee

noun

ˈbē 

: honeybee

broadly : any of numerous hymenopteran insects (superfamily Apoidea) that differ from the related wasps especially in the heavier hairier body and in having sucking as well as chewing mouthparts, that feed on pollen and nectar, and that store both and often also honey see africanized bee