carpenter bee

noun

1. any of several solitary bees of the family Apidae that nest in solid wood, boring tunnels in which to deposit their eggs.

carpenter bee

noun

1. any large solitary bee of the genus Xylocopa and related genera that lays its eggs in tunnels bored into wood or in plant stems: family Apidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of carpenter bee¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

There is a big carpenter-bee that makes its doors of chips of wood, usually neatly glued together.

From Project Gutenberg

The violet carpenter-bee is, perhaps, the most interesting example we can select.

From Project Gutenberg

Where you see the carpenter bee you always see these bee flies waiting for the bee to go away from home.

From Project Gutenberg

So he went to the big poplar by the brook, where the Carpenter Bee lived.

From Project Gutenberg

With the point of a fine needle, I inject a tiny drop of ammonia at the base of the skull of a Carpenter-bee or a Grasshopper.

From Project Gutenberg