hive

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a container for housing honeybees
b
: the usually aboveground nest of bees
2
: a colony of bees
3
: a place swarming with activity
hiveless adjective

hive

2 of 2

verb

hived; hiving

intransitive verb

1
of bees : to enter and take possession of a hive
2
: to reside in close association

transitive verb

1
: to collect into a hive
2
: to store up in or as if in a hive

Examples of hive in a Sentence

Noun The house was a hive of activity as we prepared for the party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Brown said a bite from a lone star tick can trigger an allergic reaction, with symptoms including hives, gastrointestinal distress and potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis. State House News Service, Boston Herald, 13 July 2025 The Pasadena Playhouse is fast moving toward artistic director Danny Feldman’s goal of once again making its historic campus a buzzing hive of educational activity. Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025 Bees and wasps, like plenty of other wildlife, are not known to be particularly aggressive toward humans and generally only attack if their hive has been threatened. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 July 2025 Symptoms of allergic reactions include redness, hives, wheals (a red or swollen elevation on the surface of skin that may be itchy), and shortness of breath. Laura Schober, Health, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hive

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hȳf; perhaps akin to Old Norse hūfr ship's hull, Latin cūpa tub, Sanskrit kūpa cave

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hive was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hive. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

hive

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a container for housing honeybees
b
: the usually aboveground nest of bees
c
: a colony of bees
2
: a place swarming with busy occupants

hive

2 of 2 verb
hived; hiving
1
a
: to collect into a hive
hive bees
b
: to enter and take over a hive or nesting place
2
: to live or gather in close association

Medical Definition

hive

noun
: the raised edematous red patch of skin or mucous membrane characteristic of hives : an urticarial wheal

More from Merriam-Webster on hive

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