bee-eater

[ bee-ee-ter ]

/ ˈbiˌi tər /

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noun

any of several colorful birds of the family Meropidae, of the Old World tropics, that feed on bees and other insects.

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Origin of bee-eater

First recorded in 1660–70

Words nearby bee-eater

beech marten, beech mast, beechnut, beechwood, beedi, bee-eater, beef, beefalo, beef bouillon, beef bourguignon, beefburger

How to use bee-eater in a sentence

Of all feathered fowl, however, none are more brilliant in colour than the bee-eater and the golden oriol.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram
The latter in its endeavour to escape soars into the air, and the Bee-eater seizing it becomes the prey of the aërial fisherman.
British Birds in their Haunts|Rev. C. A. Johns
On p. 357 is note and figure of the extinct Moho apicalis, under the name of the "Yellow-tufted Bee-eater."
Extinct Birds|Walter Rothschild
The blue-tailed bee-eater is distinguishable by its larger size, its yellowish throat, and its blue tail.
Glimpses of Indian Birds|Douglas Dewar

Watch a bee-eater feeding and you will see it take twenty or thirty insects in less than an hour.
Glimpses of Indian Birds|Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for bee-eater

bee-eater

noun

any insectivorous bird of the family Meropidae of tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, having a long downward-curving bill and long pointed wings and tail: order Coraciiformes (kingfishers, etc)

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