beekeeper

American  

[bee-kee-per] / ˈbiˌki pər /

noun

1. a person who raises honeybees; apiculturist.

---

beekeeper British  

/ ˈbiːˌkiːpə /

noun

1. a person who keeps bees for their honey; apiarist

---

Other Word Forms

• beekeeping noun

Etymology

Origin of beekeeper

First recorded in 1810–20; bee ¹ + keeper

Explanation

A beekeeper is someone who manages bee hives and extracts honey. If you see a person wearing a white jumpsuit and a hat with a veil — and they're covered in buzzing insects — it's probably a beekeeper. If you want to get really fancy, you can call a beekeeper an apiarist. Beekeepers manage apiaries, or networks of honey bee hives. They care for the hives, making sure they are an ideal environment for the bees to live and make honey. It's also the beekeeper's job to carefully extract honeycomb without harming the bees. Many people keep bees as a hobby, yielding just a little bit of honey each year.

Example Sentences

Mr Williamson, a County Armagh beekeeper, said this behaviour typically takes place from mid to late summer and can prevent bees from foraging, causing them to starve.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2025

"There's not enough help," said Bartolo Quirino, a 42-year-old beekeeper.

From Barron's • Oct. 15, 2025

The beekeeper, who sells his own honey from nearby Priorslee, said when bees did this they had "nothing to defend so tend not to be too aggressive".

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025

The duchess announces her entrance by speaking “in our bee voice,” a low volume meant to maintain calm as she and her beekeeper mentor collect honey from their hive.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2025

“You can’t be a true beekeeper without getting stung.”

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd