honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee ˈhə-nē-ˌbē 

variants or honey bee

: a honey-producing bee (genus Apis of the family Apidae)

especially : a European bee (A. mellifera) introduced worldwide and kept in hives for the honey it produces

Illustration of honeybee

• worker
• queen
• drone

Examples of honeybee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bumblebees absorb two to seven times the proportion of heavy metals that honeybees do in the same environment. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Rocchio rounded first base, reached second and raced toward left field, his teammates chasing after him like a swarm of honeybees following their queen. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Links in the chain The Himalayan cliff bee, Apis laboriosa, is the world’s largest honeybee. — Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Plus, the diseases that affect European honeybees also have an impact on natives. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for honeybee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee -ˌbē 

: a bee that produces honey and lives in colonies

especially : a European bee widely kept in hives for the honey it produces

Medical Definition

honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee ˈhən-ē-ˌbē 

: a honey-producing bee (Apis and related genera)

especially : a European bee (A. mellifera) introduced worldwide and kept in hives for the honey it produces