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
see also bee in one's bonnet
: the letter b
: a gathering of people for a specific purpose
a quilting bee
bachelor of electrical engineering
Examples of bee in a Sentence
Noun (1)
she got a sudden bee to quit her job and move to South Carolina
Recent Examples on the Web
Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2026
Adding native plants encourages desirable insects like bees and butterflies to visit your garden in the spring.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, founder of Amazon Research Internacional, and Constanza Prieto, Latin American director at the Earth Law Center, have been working together to make sure stingless bees in the Amazon have the right to exist, according to The Guardian and CNN.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
Stingless bees in the Peruvian Amazon have become the first insects anywhere in the world to receive legal rights.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bee
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Noun
Always follow product instructions exactly, and avoid spraying when beneficial insects such as bees or ladybugs are present in the area.
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2026
Adding native plants encourages desirable insects like bees and butterflies to visit your garden in the spring.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, founder of Amazon Research Internacional, and Constanza Prieto, Latin American director at the Earth Law Center, have been working together to make sure stingless bees in the Amazon have the right to exist, according to The Guardian and CNN.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
Stingless bees in the Peruvian Amazon have become the first insects anywhere in the world to receive legal rights.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bee
Cite this Entry
“Bee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bee. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bee
1 of 2 noun
: 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
: 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
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