apiary

American  

[ey-pee-er-ee] / ˈeɪ piˌɛr i /

noun

plural

apiaries

1. a place in which a colony or colonies of bees are kept, as a stand or shed for beehives or a bee house containing a number of beehives.

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apiary British  

/ ˈeɪpɪərɪ /

noun

1. a place where bees are kept, usually in beehives

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Etymology

Origin of apiary

1645–55; < Latin apiārium beehive, equivalent to api ( s ) bee + -ārium -ary

Explanation

An apiary is a structure for keeping bees. If you love to eat fresh honey and don't have access to a farmer's market, you might consider building an apiary in your backyard. Apiaries have nothing to do with apes! Rather, the word derives from apis, the Latin word for "bee." Humans have raised bees for their honey for thousands of years; the oldest known apiaries were built by ancient Egyptians. The word itself didn't appear until the 1650s, around the time that apiarists, or beekeepers, started constructing apiaries resembling the ones in current use. Today, there are apiaries of various sizes on every continent and in every U.S. state.

Example Sentences

Visit a local apiary or beekeeper to see how bees live and work.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 5, 2024

"We are so fortunate to be able to work with the Pennsylvania beekeepers, who every year answer a survey on their management practices, their bees' winter survival and their apiary locations," Grozinger said.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2024

The farm also has an apiary operation that produces incredible honey, two rescue steers, and a smattering of laying hens.

From Salon • May 2, 2024

Once the weather warms up, Davis plans to take them to his apiary in Thermal, where he will release them.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2024

They usually lie perfectly still in 47 the day time, with their head downwards, lurking in and about the apiary.

From A Manual or an Easy Method of Managing Bees by Weeks, John M. (John Moseley)