apiarist

American  

[ey-pee-uh-rist] / ˈeɪ pi ə rɪst /

noun

1. a person who keeps an apiary.

---

apiarist British  

/ ˈeɪpɪərɪst /

noun

1. a person who studies or keeps bees

---

Etymology

Origin of apiarist

First recorded in 1810–20; apiar(y) + -ist

Explanation

Apiarist is a fancy word for a beekeeper. An apiarist enjoys working with an unusual kind of pet, the honeybee. Because bees and other pollinators are so important to a healthy environment scientists encourage “bee-spotting” to improve fruits and vegetables. The -ist suffix is a Greek form that means “a person connected with.” So, a good apiarist is probably a strong environmentalist.

Example Sentences

She became a chemist, and eventually an apiarist and master gardener.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 18, 2023

Her father, a fifth-generation apiarist, started the family’s bee garden, a large collection of hives, in Almere in the 1970s.

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2022

Six years ago, Tucson native and sommelier Noel Patterson began amateur beekeeping after receiving a hive as a gift from a skilled local apiarist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2021

Murray Borer, an apiarist and president of his regional beekeeper's association, told the BBC his industry has been decimated by the pesticide.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2016

Cook, the eminent apiarist, calls attention to a new pest which has made its appearance in many apiaries.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 417, December 29, 1883 by Various