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honeybee

American

[huhn-ee-bee] / ˈhʌn iˌbi /

Or honey bee

noun

any bee that collects and stores honey, especially Apis mellifera.

honeybee British

/ ˈhʌnɪˌbiː /

noun

Also called: hive bee. any of various social honey-producing bees of the genus Apis, esp A. mellifera, which has been widely domesticated as a source of honey and beeswax

"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

Etymology

Origin of honeybee

First recorded in 1560–70; honey + bee ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The tree shrew had the highest intake at 1.4 g/kg/day, while the honeybee had the lowest at 0.05 g/kg/day.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

In midsentence, she’d suddenly break off to excitedly note a young kestrel flying near the crossing or a honeybee foraging among some early flowers.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

Scientists have developed a honeybee "superfood" that could protect the animals against the threats of climate change and habitat loss.

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2025

“It could also be, as is the case with the honeybee, that we seem to share their social structure in certain ways.”

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2025

At that moment, a honeybee lands on Suma’s unicorn horn.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023