honeybee

noun hon·ey·bee \ ˈhə-nē-ˌbē \

variants: or honey bee

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of honeybee

: 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

See honeybee defined for English-language learners

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Recent Examples of honeybee from the Web

The couple plans to add honeybees, a vineyard and agritourism with the help of their son, Jess.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Shelby County family wins Farm of Distinction award," 9 Apr. 2018
Email Concern about colony collapse among the honeybees spurred Bryan and Barbara Ritter of Garland, Kan., to leave leave their jobs in the Kansas City area and move to a farm about 100 miles south and become virtual beekeepers.

— scott berson, charlotteobserver, "Bees keep dying. Walmart wants to replace them with swarms of tiny robots | Charlotte Observer," 27 Mar. 2018
At pollination time, commercial beekeepers provide truckloads of European honeybees, Apis mellifera, which are not native to North America.

— bailey bischoff, The Christian Science Monitor, "In San Francisco, hotels welcome bees as honored guests," 26 Mar. 2018
The mural of a child reading a book and surrounded by flowers, honeybees and other figures is at 83rd Street and National Avenue.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Reward up to $300 to catch mural vandal in West Allis, thanks to an anonymous donor," 22 Mar. 2018
In the wild, the sting of a honeybee, rather than that of the more fierce yellow jacket, is more likely to lead to anaphylaxis, Casale said.

— susan scutti, CNN, "Live bee sting acupuncture is deadly for Madrid woman," 22 Mar. 2018
Meanwhile, in Wonderful’s vast almond orchards, the honeybees will have to do the job alone.

— paige embry, Scientific American, "A Promising Backup to the Honeybee Is Shut Down," 5 Mar. 2018
This late winter show always attracts attention as campus visitors (and honeybees) enjoy the display.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "This sure sign of (almost) spring offers drought relief, too," 16 Feb. 2018
McNitt admits having serious scientific encouragement as a kid, which led to a documentary film about honeybee colony collapses, two wins at Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair, and a world-changing visit to the Hadron Supercollider.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "VR headsets have become the new arthouse—the best of SXSW’s fantastic VR festival," 18 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'honeybee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of honeybee

First Known Use of honeybee

15th century

in the meaning defined above

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HONEYBEE Defined for English Language Learners

honeybee

noun

Definition of honeybee for English Language Learners

: a bee that makes honey

HONEYBEE Defined for Kids

honeybee

noun hon·ey·bee \ ˈhə-nē-ˌbē \

Definition of honeybee for Students

: a bee whose honey is used by people as food

Medical Dictionary

honeybee

noun hon·ey·bee \ ˈhən-ē-ˌbē \

medical Definition of honeybee

: 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

Learn More about honeybee

See words that rhyme with honeybee Spanish Central: Translation of honeybee Nglish: Translation of honeybee for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about honeybee

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honeybee

Definition of honeybee

Recent Examples of honeybee from the Web

Illustration of honeybee

First Known Use of honeybee

HONEYBEE Defined for English Language Learners

honeybee

Definition of honeybee for English Language Learners

HONEYBEE Defined for Kids

honeybee

Definition of honeybee for Students

Medical Dictionary

honeybee

medical Definition of honeybee

Learn More about honeybee

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honeybee

Definition of honeybee

Recent Examples of honeybee from the Web

Illustration of honeybee

First Known Use of honeybee

HONEYBEE Defined for English Language Learners

honeybee

Definition of honeybee for English Language Learners

HONEYBEE Defined for Kids

honeybee

Definition of honeybee for Students

Medical Dictionary

honeybee

medical Definition of honeybee

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