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
Herbicides also harm honeybees, butterflies, and other pollinators through direct contact and/or through long-term impacts on reproduction and development.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
Pollinating insects, especially non-native honeybees, are important for food crops.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
At Michigan State University’s Pollinator Performance Center, researchers are enlisting an unusual ally in their efforts to protect honeybees from a deadly bacterial disease, a nine-year-old English springer spaniel named Maple.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, butterflies are not the only insects on the decline, as honeybees are also decreasing, according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for honeybee
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025
Pollinating insects, especially non-native honeybees, are important for food crops.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
At Michigan State University’s Pollinator Performance Center, researchers are enlisting an unusual ally in their efforts to protect honeybees from a deadly bacterial disease, a nine-year-old English springer spaniel named Maple.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, butterflies are not the only insects on the decline, as honeybees are also decreasing, according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for honeybee
Cite this Entry
“Honeybee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honeybee. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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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