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honeybee

American

[huhn-ee-bee] / ˈhʌn iˌbi /

Or honey bee

noun

any bee that collects and stores honey, especially Apis mellifera.

honeybee British

/ ˈhʌnɪˌbiː /

noun

Also called: hive bee. any of various social honey-producing bees of the genus Apis, esp A. mellifera, which has been widely domesticated as a source of honey and beeswax

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of honeybee

First recorded in 1560–70; honey + bee ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The tree shrew had the highest intake at 1.4 g/kg/day, while the honeybee had the lowest at 0.05 g/kg/day.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Much of the movement to "save the bees" in the U.S. has been focused on a single species: Apis mellifera, the European honeybee.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2025

Currently, the only insect included in the EPA’s required pesticide testing is the adult honeybee.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2025

The insects are being relocated to a honeybee sanctuary.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2024

She would don her crisp scarlet vest with its three honeybee buttons.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023