bee

[ bee ]

/ bi /

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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.

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Idioms about bee

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

First recorded 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, Old Prussian bitte, Old Church Slavonic bĭchela, Old Irish bech; the unattested bhi- is a North European stem with the same distribution as wax¹, apple; put the bee on is probably an allusion to sting in sense “dupe, cheat”

OTHER WORDS FROM bee

beelike, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bee

be, bee

Other definitions for bee (2 of 3)

bee²

[ 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

Other definitions for bee (3 of 3)

B.E.E.

abbreviation

Bachelor of Electrical Engineering.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use bee in a sentence

The Bees Laline Paull (Ecco) This arresting debut novel is a daring dystopian story set in a beehive.
The Best Fiction of 2014: Ford, Ferrante, Klay, and More|William O’Connor|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he struck, Brown wrote, “The bees will begin to swarm.”
When Robert E. Lee Met John Brown and Saved the Union|Michael Korda|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this clip, Nancy struggles to have the most awkward birds-and-bees conversation in the history of ever.
TV’s Best and Worst Moms: ‘Veep,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ and More|The Daily Beast Video|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Birds do it, bees do it, even educated flees do it—thousands and thousands and thousands of times a day.
How to Hitchhike a Plane—and Survive|Kent Sepkowitz|April 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

One Libyan intelligence source has likened it to a “swarm of bees” accepting a new queen bee.
Benghazi Suicide Bombing: Is Libya al Qaeda’s New Hotbed?|Jamie Dettmer|December 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Like many other Yankee notions, it did not thrive here, and the humming of those bees soon ceased.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
Four of my sisters will be my 'B's,' my busy bees; each 'B' will select four 'C's,' from each of whom she will obtain a shilling.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
His work on the bees of England described upwards of 200 wild species in that country.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Cool wind makes weather endurable, but bees terrible in kitchen & around water-hole.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
It is the triumph of a luminous brain, full of rays and ideas "whence images buzz forth like golden bees."
Charles Baudelaire, His Life|Thophile Gautier

British Dictionary definitions for bee (1 of 4)

bee¹

/ (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)

bee²

/ (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)

bee³

/ (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

Other 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)

bee

Idioms about bee

Origin of bee

OTHER WORDS FROM bee

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bee

Other definitions for bee (2 of 3)

Origin of bee

Other definitions for bee (3 of 3)

Words related to bee

How to use bee in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bee (1 of 4)

Word Origin for bee

British Dictionary definitions for bee (2 of 4)

Word Origin for bee

British Dictionary definitions for bee (3 of 4)

Word Origin for bee

British Dictionary definitions for bee (4 of 4)

Other Idioms and Phrases with bee