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

Bumblebees do not pollinate in the manner of honeybees by carrying pollen on their bodies from flower to flower. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 10 May 2025

Plants are covered in white to purple blooms from mid-summer through fall, providing a buffet for honeybees, native bees, beetles, and butterflies. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2025

Barrett cited a 2021 survey of American adults, which found that fifty-two to sixty-five per cent supported the notion that insects such as honeybees, ants, and termites were capable of feeling pain. —Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025

These happy honeybees have found a source of copious amounts of nectar from this furry explosion of fuzz and fringe. —New York Times Games, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025

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