hive

noun \ ˈhīv \

Definition of hive

1 a :a container for housing honeybees

b :the usually aboveground nest of bees

2 :a colony of bees

3 :a place swarming with activity

—

hiveless

play \ˈhīv-ləs\ adjective

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Examples of hive in a Sentence

The house was a hive of activity as we prepared for the party.

Recent Examples of hive from the Web

Simply put, without worker bees, a hive will eventually die.

— susmita baral, Teen Vogue, "Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder, Explained," 29 Aug. 2017
Around 3,500 blamed the uniforms for being itchy and uncomfortable and, more disturbing, fostering heavy rashes, hives, breathing disorders and other ailments.

— robert reed, chicagotribune.com, "Can United Airlines fly past American's itchy uniform debacle?," 25 Aug. 2017
Many of the groups will give out free samples, and guests will be treated to honey tastings from the hotel’s rooftop hives.

— sarah lane, Washington Post, "Going Out Guide for the District, Aug. 24-30, 2017," 23 Aug. 2017
Earlier this month, Columbus was a hive of experimentation as the visiting designers worked on their installations, which range from the playful to the serious, aided by many small companies, from cement producers to equipment makers.

— ted loos, New York Times, "Columbus, Ind., Renews Its Big Design Legacy," 18 Aug. 2017
But just in case this thought experiment alone is giving you hives, here’s a friendly spoiler warning to keep you safe.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones: The Explosive New Conflict Hiding in George R.R. Martin’s Original Outline," 8 Aug. 2017
Deaths from a mysterious malady called Colony Collapse Disorder that affects hives in North America and Europe have fallen by 27 percent.

— Bloomberg.com, "Your Evening Briefing," 2 Aug. 2017
Bee pollen--the stuff bees gather from flowers and take to the hive--also is considered a super food.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Explore these 10 incredible honeymoon destinations," 19 July 2017
The flood also destroyed 16 of the 18 hives that produced honey for operation, shutting off the supply.

— kim chatelain, NOLA.com, "St. Joseph Abbey 'Abbee' honey returns to the shelves," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hive

Middle English, from Old English hȳf; perhaps akin to Old Norse hūfr ship's hull, Latin cūpa tub, Sanskrit kūpa cave

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

hive

verb

Definition of hive

hived; hiving

intransitive verb

1 of bees :to enter and take possession of a hive

2 :to reside in close association

transitive verb

1 :to collect into a hive

2 :to store up in or as if in a hive

See hive defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of hive from the Web

Instead what is most often advocated is hiving off as much political life as possible from the influence of ignorant voters and giving it to experts instead.

— sheri berman, Washington Post, "Some argue that the West should limit democracy to save liberalism. Here’s why they’re wrong.," 18 July 2017
Southern drug store chain Fred’s, which had stood to gain national scale by buying the stores that Walgreens was hiving off to satisfy possible antitrust concerns, also fell 22%.

— alan murray, Fortune, "CEO Daily: Friday, 30th June," 30 June 2017
Starboard Value LP took a stake and called on Macy’s to hive off its valuable real estate, which the activist investor says is worth more than $20 billion.

— dow jones news service, Twin Cities, "Saks owner Hudson’s Bay makes takeover approach to Macy’s," 3 Feb. 2017