any hymenopterous insect of the superfamily Apoidea, including social and solitary species of several families, as the bumblebee, honeybee, etc.
the common honeybee, Apis mellifera.
a community social gathering in order to perform some task, engage in a contest, etc..
a sewing bee;
a spelling bee;
a husking bee.
have a bee in one's bonnet,
to be obsessed with one idea.
to have eccentric or fanciful ideas or schemes.
Our aunt obviously has a bee in her bonnet, but we're very fond of her.
the bee's knees, (especially in the 1920s) a person or thing that is wonderful, great, or marvelous.
Her new roadster is simply the bee's knees.
put the bee on, to try to obtain money from, as for a loan or donation.
My brother just put the bee on me for another $10.
Also called bee block. Nautical. a piece of hardwood, bolted to the side of a bowsprit, through which to reeve stays.
Obsolete. a metal ring or bracelet.
a social gathering for a specific purpose, as to carry out a communal task or hold competitions
quilting bee
See spelling bee
First recorded before 1000; Middle English be(e); Old English bīo, bēo; cognate with Dutch bij, Old Saxon bī, bini, Old High German bīa, bini ( German Biene ), Old Norse bȳ; with other suffixes, Lithuanian bìtė, Old Prussian bitte, Old Church Slavonic bĭchela, Old Irish bech; the unattested bhi- is a North European stem with the same distribution as wax 1, apple; put the bee on is probably an allusion to sting in sense “dupe, cheat”
First recorded before 1050; Middle English bei, be, bih “ring,” Old English bēag, bēah, bēg; cognate with Old Frisian bāg, Old Saxon, Middle Low German bōg, Old High German boug, Old Norse baugr, Sanskrit bhoga-; akin to bow 1
A bee is a fuzzy, buzzing insect that flies and sometimes stings. Many flower gardens are especially planned to attract bees. Bees have two pairs of wings and a long tongue-like proboscis that's used for collecting nectar from flowers. Bees are vital in the health of many plants, because they help to pollinate them, spreading pollen so they can reproduce and spread. Some bees also make honey. Because bees appear to be constantly moving and buzzing, since the mid-1500's they'e been equated with hard workers, as in the phrases "worker bee" and "busy as a bee."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The mites also spread dangerous viruses such as Deformed Wing Virus and Acute Bee Paralysis Virus by injecting them directly into a bee's bloodstream.
From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026
"Help to Buy policies can help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder, in theory, but can also push up house prices," said Bee Boileau, a research economist at IFS.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
That summer, radio was a disco lovers’ paradise, as fizzy singles from the Bee Gees, Donna Summer and Chic also topped the chart.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Herd has envisioned a tool like Bee for years.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Each one showed a cartoony drawing and a single letter: Apple = A, Bee = B, Carrot = C, and so on.
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
