beekeeper

American  

[bee-kee-per] / ˈbiˌki pər /

noun

1. a person who raises honeybees; apiculturist.

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beekeeper British  

/ ˈbiːˌkiːpə /

noun

1. a person who keeps bees for their honey; apiarist

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Other Word Forms

• beekeeping
  noun

Etymology

Origin of beekeeper

First recorded in 1810–20; bee ¹ + keeper

Explanation

A beekeeper is someone who manages bee hives and extracts honey. If you see a person wearing a white jumpsuit and a hat with a veil — and they're covered in buzzing insects — it's probably a beekeeper. If you want to get really fancy, you can call a beekeeper an apiarist. Beekeepers manage apiaries, or networks of honey bee hives. They care for the hives, making sure they are an ideal environment for the bees to live and make honey. It's also the beekeeper's job to carefully extract honeycomb without harming the bees. Many people keep bees as a hobby, yielding just a little bit of honey each year.

Example Sentences

The Ethan Coen-directed “ Drive Away Dolls ” debuted eighth with $2.4 million ahead of “ The Beekeeper ” and “The Chosen” season four, a Christian series focused on Jesus Christ.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2024

Beekeeper Stephen Kelly said the insects only need a tiny gap to get into a house.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2023

After Chill Wills was nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Davy Crockett’s buddy Beekeeper in “The Alamo,” he hired the veteran publicist W.S.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2023

In 2018, Mikhail turned back to journalism and released a harrowing nonfiction book called “The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq,” which became a finalist for a National Book Award.

From Washington Post • Dec. 6, 2022

In her TikTok bio, Thompson bills herself as a “Professional Beekeeper Saving Bees in Austin, TX.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2021