honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee ˈhə-nē-ˌbē 

variants or honey bee

: a honey-producing bee (genus Apis of the family Apidae)

especially : a European bee (A. mellifera) introduced worldwide and kept in hives for the honey it produces

Illustration of honeybee

• worker
• queen
• drone

Examples of honeybee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The females can sting, but lack the instinct to guard their nest like a honeybee. — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Courtesy of David Bradshaw One of Bradshaw's primary concerns is parasitic mites, which can weaken or kill honeybees and transmit deadly diseases like deformed wing virus. — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 25 July 2026

Queens in honeybee colonies and other eusocial insects use pheromones to keep worker daughters from developing ovaries. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026

For decades, biologists have known that social, cavity-nesting honeybees exhibit magnetoreception. — Laura Russo, The Conversation, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for honeybee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee -ˌbē 

: a bee that produces honey and lives in colonies

especially : a European bee widely kept in hives for the honey it produces

Medical Definition

honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee ˈhən-ē-ˌbē 

: a honey-producing bee (Apis and related genera)

especially : a European bee (A. mellifera) introduced worldwide and kept in hives for the honey it produces