honeyguide

noun

hon·​ey·​guide ˈhə-nē-ˌgīd How to pronounce honeyguide (audio)
: any of a family (Indicatoridae) of small plainly colored nonpasserine birds that inhabit Africa, the Himalayas, and the East Indies and that include some which lead people or animals to the nests of bees

Examples of honeyguide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other African cultures besides the Hadza and Yao have their own calls to summon a honeyguide. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023 So which sounds were the most effective cues for honeyguides to partner with humans? Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023 The honeyguide bird, as its name suggests, charts a path for human honey hunters in northern Tanzania. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023 Residents of the 11 communities surveyed have spent generations searching for wild honey, including with assistance of honeyguide birds. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 June 2023 Some honey hunters actually communicate with the birds using special calls, all in an attempt to recruit helpful honeyguides. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023 The greater honeyguide bird has been used for generations to find bees’ nests. Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 29 June 2023 Wild honeyguide birds and humans have hunted for honey together in Africa for centuries, if not longer. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 3 July 2023 Now, a new study tackles the mystery of honeyguides collaborating with honey badgers. Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 29 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honeyguide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of honeyguide was in 1777

Dictionary Entries Near honeyguide

Cite this Entry

“Honeyguide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honeyguide. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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