Illustration of honeybee
- worker
- queen
- drone
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
Examples of honeybee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Susan Hare, a licensed pest management professional with Thrasher Pest, has honeybees and 14 species of native California bees buzzing around her garden.
—
Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026
The area is home to the largest pollination event in the world, when billions of honeybees spend a month among the almond blossoms.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Pollinators including honeybees, bumblebees, and squash bees, fertilize flowers by transporting pollen from male blooms to female blooms.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
The creatures emerging from the carcass were actually drone flies, close enough in appearance to honeybees to sustain a flawed belief across millennia.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for honeybee
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Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026
The area is home to the largest pollination event in the world, when billions of honeybees spend a month among the almond blossoms.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Pollinators including honeybees, bumblebees, and squash bees, fertilize flowers by transporting pollen from male blooms to female blooms.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
The creatures emerging from the carcass were actually drone flies, close enough in appearance to honeybees to sustain a flawed belief across millennia.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for honeybee
Cite this Entry
“Honeybee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honeybee. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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