bumblebee

or bum·ble bee

[ buhm-buhl-bee ]

/ ˈbʌm bəlˌbi /

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See synonyms for bumblebee on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of several large, hairy social bees of the family Apidae.

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Origin of bumblebee

First recorded in 1520–30; bumble² + bee¹

Words nearby bumblebee

bum around, bum bag, bumbailiff, bumbershoot, bumble, bumblebee, bumblebeefish, bumbleberry, bumbledom, bumblefoot, bumbleheaded

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bumblebee in a sentence

This past summer, my wife and I ventured to an area near Mount Adams in southwestern Washington state to census bumblebees.
We Crush, Poison, and Destroy Insects at Our Own Peril - Issue 95: Escape|John Hainze|January 20, 2021|Nautilus
Survey participants choose a territory where they capture and photograph bumblebees on two occasions.
We Crush, Poison, and Destroy Insects at Our Own Peril - Issue 95: Escape|John Hainze|January 20, 2021|Nautilus
When bumblebees snip little confetti-like bits out of a plant’s leaves, the bees can prompt a slowpoke plant to bloom early.
Here’s the summer science you might have missed|Janet Raloff|September 1, 2020|Science News For Students
Then the researchers trapped the bumblebees with nonblooming plants.
Bumblebees may bite leaves to spur plant blooming|Susan Milius|July 2, 2020|Science News For Students

Here’s a tip for bumblebees to get a slowpoke plant to bloom early.
Bumblebees may bite leaves to spur plant blooming|Susan Milius|July 2, 2020|Science News For Students
But Buster Bumblebee—though he watched everything very closely—hadn't the slightest idea what they were doing.
The Tale of Buster Bumblebee|Arthur Scott Bailey
But Buster Bumblebee did not find anything that really pleased him until he paused at a fat sugar-bowl.
The Tale of Buster Bumblebee|Arthur Scott Bailey
And Buster Bumblebee had just made up his mind that the whole affair was very dull!
The Tale of Buster Bumblebee|Arthur Scott Bailey
Whenever this merry musician played all alone like that Buster Bumblebee stayed close by him in order to hear better.
The Tale of Buster Bumblebee|Arthur Scott Bailey
As soon as he had made up his mind on that point Buster Bumblebee blustered back to old dog Spot once more.
The Tale of Buster Bumblebee|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for bumblebee

bumblebee

humblebee

/ (ˈbʌmbəlˌbiː) /

noun

any large hairy social bee of the genus Bombus and related genera, of temperate regions: family Apidae

Word Origin for bumblebee

C16: from bumble ² + bee 1

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

bumblebee

or bum·ble bee

Origin of bumblebee

Words nearby bumblebee

Words related to bumblebee

How to use bumblebee in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bumblebee

humblebee

Word Origin for bumblebee