colony collapse disorder

noun

: a disorder of honeybees (Apis mellifera) that is of unknown cause and that is characterized by sudden colony death due to the disappearance of all adult worker bees in a hive while immature bees, the queen bee, and the honey remain
… since 2006, hundreds of thousands of U.S. honeybee colonies have died out in what is being called colony collapse disorder. Whether caused by a new insecticide, disease, or a mix of stressors, the losses have spurred a flurry of research …Jennifer S. Holland
abbreviation CCD

Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of colony collapse disorder was in 2007

Dictionary Entries Near colony collapse disorder

colony

colony collapse disorder

colony house

Cite this Entry

“Colony collapse disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colony%20collapse%20disorder. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

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