hive

American  

[hahyv] / haɪv /

noun

hives plural

1. a shelter constructed for housing a colony of honeybees; beehive.

2. the colony of bees inhabiting a hive.

3. something resembling a beehive in structure or use.

4. a place swarming with busy occupants.

   a hive of industry.

   Synonyms:

   center, hub

5. a swarming or teeming multitude.

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verb (used with object)

hives, present (3rd person singular) hived, past participle, past hiving present participle

1. to gather into or cause to enter a hive.

2. to shelter as in a hive.

3. to store up in a hive.

4. to store or lay away for future use or enjoyment.

verb (used without object)

hives, present (3rd person singular) hived, past participle, past hiving present participle

1. (of bees) to enter a hive.

2. to live together in or as in a hive.

verb phrase

1. hive off to become transferred from the main body of a commercial or industrial enterprise through the agency of new ownership.

hive British  

/ haɪv /

noun

1. a structure in which social bees live and rear their young

2. a colony of social bees

3. a place showing signs of great industry (esp in the phrase a hive of activity )

4. a teeming crowd; multitude

5. an object in the form of a hive

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verb

1. to cause (bees) to collect or (of bees) to collect inside a hive

2. to live or cause to live in or as if in a hive

3. (tr) (of bees) to store (honey, pollen, etc) in the hive

4. (tr; often foll by up or away) to store, esp for future use

   he used to hive away a small sum every week

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hiver
  noun
• hiveless
  adjective
• hivelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hives
  plural

Participles

• hiving
  present
• hived
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• hive
  simple
• hives
  simple
• have hived
  perfect
• has hived
  perfect
• am hiving
  progressive
• are hiving
  progressive
• is hiving
  progressive
• have been hiving
  perfect progressive
• has been hiving
  perfect progressive

Past

• hived
  simple
• had hived
  perfect
• was hiving
  progressive
• were hiving
  progressive
• had been hiving
  perfect progressive

Future

• will hive
  simple
• will have hived
  perfect
• will be hiving
  progressive
• will have been hiving
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of hive

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hȳf; akin to Old Norse hūfr “ship's hull,” Latin cūpa “vat”

Explanation

A hive can be a home for bees. It’s also a whole bunch of something moving around — like a hive of eager students — which is related to the fact that so many bees live in a hive. The word hive is most recognizable as a place where bees live, but it can be a verb that means to move together as one, like a swarm of bees. It can also describe storing a lot of things in a confined space, the way bees are packed into a hive. You might hive your stamp collection in boxes in the attic, but if bees have built a hive in the eaves you won't be able to get to them.

Example Sentences

She started her own physical therapy practice that spring, naming it Hive Therapy in honor of Bee.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

Scotland women's record home attendance of 7,774 was set at Hive Stadium in 2024, but more than 25,000 tickets have been sold for the fixture.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

A new book club starts in January at The Hive in Worcester, with the genre changing each session.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025

The couple said they are getting support for the project from Elsie and Bebe's family who have also set up charities - Elsie's Story and Bebe's Hive - in their daughters' names.

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

And Agent Fiona nearly caused an international incident when, as a Junior Agent, she greatly offended the Origami Hive Mind by insisting that scissors beats paper in a game of rock, paper, scissors.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston