bee-eater

noun

bee-eat·​er ˈbē-ˌē-tər How to pronounce bee-eater (audio)
: any of a family (Meropidae) of brightly colored slender-billed insectivorous chiefly tropical Old World birds

Examples of bee-eater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other drawings up for auction include bee-eater birds, a Harrod's-style delivery van, a rabbit, an Easter card featuring a bunny, and a drawing of an owl, deer and squirrels. Town & Country, 16 June 2023 Like many young children’s drawings, the ten sketches, done in crayon and pencil, feature subjects like animals (in this case, a pair of carmine bee-eaters) and his parents (Elizabeth and Philip). Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bee-eater.' 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

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bee-eater was in 1668

Dictionary Entries Near bee-eater

Cite this Entry

“Bee-eater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bee-eater. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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