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

The first technique involves braiding your hair into straight-back cornrows or a beehive and weaving the kinky, coily tresses in with a latch-hook crochet needle. — Aleah Wright, InStyle, 8 July 2026

Even so, her love of melody pulled her toward music, and many people encouraged her to take a path similar to an especially famous British pop siren with a ’60s beehive. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 6 July 2026

On the roof, beehives provide the hotel's honey and in the basement, guests can enjoy laps in a chlorine-free swimming pool. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026

Bees are seen after a semitrailer carrying about 400 beehives toppled over, allowing millions of bees to escape into a rural neighborhood in Orange, Texas, on June 21, 2026. — CBS News, 23 June 2026

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
• khedive
• revive
• survive
• dive
• drive

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