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

Collaborative problem-solving with dolphins and honeybees? —Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Royal jelly proteins that are known to be secreted by the western honeybee, were also found in the residue. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2025

Europeans introduced western honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) to the Americas in the early 1600s. —Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025

Africanized honeybees are slightly smaller than Western honeybees (European honeybees). —Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 6 July 2025

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