bee

[ bee ]

/ bi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bee ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any hymenopterous insect of the superfamily Apoidea, including social and solitary species of several families, as the bumblebees, honeybees, etc.

the common honeybee, Apis mellifera.

a community social gathering in order to perform some task, engage in a contest, etc.: a sewing bee; a spelling bee; a husking bee.

Nearby words

beduin, bedwarmer, bedwetter, bedwetting, bedworth, bee, bee balm, bee beetle, bee bird, bee block, bee fly

Idioms

have a bee in one's bonnet,

to be obsessed with one idea.
to have eccentric or fanciful ideas or schemes: Our aunt obviously has a bee in her bonnet, but we're very fond of her.

put the bee on, Informal. to try to obtain money from, as for a loan or donation: My brother just put the bee on me for another $10.

the bee's knees, Older Slang. (especially in the 1920s) a person or thing that is wonderful, great, or marvelous: Her new roadster is simply the bee's knees.

Origin of bee

before 1000; Middle English be(e); Old English bīo, bēo; cognate with Dutch bij, Old Saxon bī, bini, Old High German bīa, bini (German Biene), Old Norse bȳ; with other suffixes, Lithuanian bìtė, OPruss bitte, OCS bĭchela, Old Irish bech; *bhi- is a North European stem with the same distribution as wax¹, apple; put the bee on probably an allusion to sting in sense “dupe, cheat”

Related forms

bee·like, adjective

Can be confused

be bee

Definition for bee (2 of 3)

bee

[ bee ]

/ bi /

noun

Also called bee block. Nautical. a piece of hardwood, bolted to the side of a bowsprit, through which to reeve stays.

Obsolete. a metal ring or bracelet.

Origin of bee

before 1050; Middle English beh ring, Old English bēag, bēah; cognate with Old Frisian bāg, Old Saxon, Middle Low German bōg, Old High German boug, Old Norse baugr, Sanskrit bhoga-; akin to bow¹

Definition for bee (3 of 3)

B.E.E.

Bachelor of Electrical Engineering.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bee

How could anyone think that their dislike of the Bee Gees made anything about Disco Demolition Night acceptable?
Of Gamers, Gates, and Disco Demolition: The Roots of Reactionary Rage|Arthur Chu|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If someone put a gun to your head and said, ‘Find the Bee Gees in 30 seconds,’ you could do it.
The Stacks: The Inimitable Albert Brooks Caught at the Dawn of His Movie Career|Paul Slansky|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After determining that the bee pollen and mushroom broth were inedible, the “detox” quickly went downhill.
We Were Gwyneth’s GOOP Guinea Pigs|Erin Cunningham, Olivia Nuzzi|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Bee Pollen juice looked appetizing and resembled a juice I routinely enjoy that consists of pineapple, apple, and lime.
We Were Gwyneth’s GOOP Guinea Pigs|Erin Cunningham, Olivia Nuzzi|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The other thing the film got wrong was the premise that David was a neophyte, better suited for interviewing the Bee Gees.
The Private David Frost|John M. Florescu|September 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Bee felt sorry that Nelson had overheard what she had said, though indeed there was no harm in it.
Rosy|Mrs. Molesworth
"Surely one good turn deserves another," thought the bee, as she turned merrily to her work.
The Nursery, April 1877, Vol. XXI. No. 4|Various
The bee is little among such as fly; but her fruit is the chief of sweet things.
A Thousand Years of Jewish History|Maurice H. (Maurice Henry) Harris
I have noticed a bird swallow a bee alive, and have also seen one stung, but no ill effects resulted.
Wild Ducks|W. Coape Oates
At present, the amount of money invested in bees and bee appliances is not less than one hundred million dollars.
Bee Hunting|John Ready Lockard

British Dictionary definitions for bee (1 of 4)

bee

/ (biː) /

noun

any hymenopterous insect of the superfamily Apoidea, which includes social forms such as the honeybee and solitary forms such as the carpenter beeSee also bumblebee, mason bee Related adjective: apian

busy bee a person who is industrious or has many things to do

have a bee in one's bonnet to be preoccupied or obsessed with an idea

Word Origin for bee

Old English bīo; related to Old Norse bӯ, Old High German bīa, Dutch bij, Swedish bi

British Dictionary definitions for bee (2 of 4)

bee

/ (biː) /

noun

a social gathering for a specific purpose, as to carry out a communal task or hold competitionsquilting bee

See spelling bee

Word Origin for bee

C18: perhaps from dialect bean neighbourly help, from Old English bēn boon

British Dictionary definitions for bee (3 of 4)

bee

/ (biː) /

noun

nautical a small sheave with one cheek removed and the pulley and other cheek fastened flat to a boom or another spar, used for reeving outhauls or stays

Word Origin for bee

Old English bēag; related to Old High German boug ring, Old Norse bogi a bow

British Dictionary definitions for bee (4 of 4)

BEE

abbreviation for (in South Africa)

Black Economic Empowerment: a government policy aimed at encouraging and supporting shareholding by black people

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

Idioms and Phrases with bee

bee

In addition to the idiom beginning with bee

bee in one's bonnet
been around
been had
been there, done that
been to the wars

also see:

birds and the bees
busy as a beaver (bee)
make a beeline for
none of one's business (beeswax)