beehive

noun

bee·​hive ˈbē-ˌhīv 

plural beehives

1

: hive sense 1

In the spring, two young grizzly bears, just out of a winter's sleep, … knocked over a half-dozen commercial beehives and fed on the honey and larvae within.

—Jim Robbins

2

: something resembling a hive for bees: such as

a

: a scene of crowded activity

… a beehive of growling trucks, riverboats laden with supplies, helicopters and airplanes buzzing overhead …

—National Geographic

b

: a woman's hairstyle that is conical in shape

She is about sixty-five with hair white as spun sugar, piled up in a beehive hairdo that has been out of style for twenty years.

—W. P. Kinsella

beehive adjective

Examples of beehive in a Sentence

The office was a beehive of activity.

wearing her hair in a beehive

Recent Examples on the Web

Owen Finnie and Matthew Elmes at Maiden Castle Farm, with an AI beehive. —Frankie Adkins, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024

Adults can build Winnie the Pooh’s beautiful treehouse, with beehives in the greenery and realistic details of the home. —Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

There the researchers found what appeared to be a granary, a beehive or globular-shaped hole in the ground typically built to store grain or corn. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024

Wooden beehives in countryside Getty Images In the other direction, the Arlara and Col Alto lift dispatches weary hikers to La Perla, Italian in name. —Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024

Hairstyles have echoed Motown stars, with beehives and bouffants mirroring the grandeur of The Supremes. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 12 Mar. 2024

Fang’s beehive and bird nest inspired handbags — utilizing 3D printing technology and exhibiting laser effect — embrace all living things in the natural world and are inspired by different forms of homes of the animal kingdom. —Angela Lei, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024

She's now deeply committed to a small church-run organic and regenerative farm with vegetables, beehives and hay. —Melina Walling, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024

In the Pyrenees, the mountains that straddle the border between France and Spain, French and Spanish farmers’ unions, sick of dealing with damage to crops, beehives, and livestock, have called for bear numbers to be cut. —Tristan Kennedy, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing beehive

• beehive oven

Kids Definition

beehive

1 of 2 noun

bee·​hive

ˈbē-ˌhīv

1

: hive entry 1 sense 1

2

: hive entry 1 sense 2

a beehive of activity

beehive

2 of 2 adjective

: resembling a dome-shaped beehive