hive

American  

[hahyv] / haɪv /

noun

1. a shelter constructed for housing a colony of honeybees; beehive.

2. the colony of bees inhabiting a hive.

3. something resembling a beehive in structure or use.

4. a place swarming with busy occupants.

   a hive of industry.

   Synonyms:

   center, hub

5. a swarming or teeming multitude.

---

verb (used with object)

hived, hiving

1. to gather into or cause to enter a hive.

2. to shelter as in a hive.

3. to store up in a hive.

4. to store or lay away for future use or enjoyment.

verb (used without object)

hived, hiving

1. (of bees) to enter a hive.

2. to live together in or as in a hive.

verb phrase

1. hive off to become transferred from the main body of a commercial or industrial enterprise through the agency of new ownership.

hive British  

/ haɪv /

noun

1. a structure in which social bees live and rear their young

2. a colony of social bees

3. a place showing signs of great industry (esp in the phrase a hive of activity )

4. a teeming crowd; multitude

5. an object in the form of a hive

---

verb

1. to cause (bees) to collect or (of bees) to collect inside a hive

2. to live or cause to live in or as if in a hive

3. (tr) (of bees) to store (honey, pollen, etc) in the hive

4. (tr; often foll by up or away) to store, esp for future use

   he used to hive away a small sum every week

Other Word Forms

• hiveless adjective
• hivelike adjective
• hiver noun

Etymology

Origin of hive

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hȳf; akin to Old Norse hūfr “ship's hull,” Latin cūpa “vat”

Explanation

A hive can be a home for bees. It’s also a whole bunch of something moving around — like a hive of eager students — which is related to the fact that so many bees live in a hive. The word hive is most recognizable as a place where bees live, but it can be a verb that means to move together as one, like a swarm of bees. It can also describe storing a lot of things in a confined space, the way bees are packed into a hive. You might hive your stamp collection in boxes in the attic, but if bees have built a hive in the eaves you won't be able to get to them.

Example Sentences

This two-parter zooms in on the bees, literally taking us inside the hive with cameras that let us see eggs getting laid and newborns emerging as we learn the ins and outs of hive life.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

As far as gas prices go, there is no hive mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

"In the hive, we see a comparable tradeoff. When fewer bees follow, dancers move more as they search for their audience, and the dance becomes less precise."

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Dubai has in recent years become a hive of influencers, entrepreneurs and millionaires, enticed by the business-friendly and income tax-free city and the lavish lifestyles on offer.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

She flung the frame of bees as far from her as she could, then ran forward, reaching out both arms, to catch Ess before the girl could hit the hive.

From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder