hives

[hahyvz]

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. any of various eruptive conditions of the skin, as the wheals of urticaria.

hives

/ haɪvz /

noun

1. (functioning as singular or plural) pathol a nontechnical name for urticaria

hives

1. A skin condition characterized by transient, itching welts, usually resulting from an allergic reaction.

hives

1. A condition characterized by the sudden appearance of red, raised areas on the skin that itch severely. Hives may be caused by an allergic reaction (see allergy) to foods or other substances.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hives¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; originally Scots; of obscure origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of hives¹

C16: of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

While this mechanism helps wild colonies adjust to shifting conditions, it can create complications in managed hives.

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The gleaming city is one of the most infamous of the hubs thriving in Myanmar's border regions, which have devolved into hives of black market activity since a civil war consumed the country in 2021.

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Peterson said there are plenty of other backyard hives in Santa Rosa, so it did not make sense for the Bards’ bees to get extra scrutiny.

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I had often thought it would be wonderful to create a wildflower meadow around those hives, so when the opportunity arose to buy the field, we decided to go ahead.

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What optimism there is lies only in the title, an ancient Greek word for the science of transforming dead cows into hives, of turning death into life.

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Related Words

• epidemic 
• eruption 
• flood 
• spate 
• wave