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

Each is printed with illustrations of beautiful yellow tulips and dancing honeybees, mirroring all that is happening in my garden. —Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Beekeepers swarmed to the rescue this weekend, saving millions of honeybees after a semi-truck carrying their hives crashed. —Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 2 June 2025

From June 2024 to February 2025, the United States suffered its worst commercial honeybee crash on record. —Joanna Thompson, The Atlantic, 20 May 2025

Pollinators including honeybees, bumblebees, and squash bees, fertilize flowers by transporting pollen from male blooms to female blooms. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 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