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

While beehives — manmade structures within which honeybees can nest and produce honey — have been created for millennia, designs continue to develop. —Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 11 July 2025

She’s been known to sport curly crops, loose beehives, and BumpIts headbands à la Brigette Bardot. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 June 2025

The ship is a beehive of activity from early morning Zumba classes run by passengers to late-night dancing. —Fran Golden, AFAR Media, 29 May 2025

All the sauces are made in-house, many incorporating honey sourced from 19 beehives on the 7-acres surrounding the Old Saybrook location. —Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing beehive

• beehive oven

Rhymes for beehive

• alive
• archive
• arrive
• connive
• contrive
• deprive
• derive
• revive
• survive
• dive
• drive
• five

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