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king bee

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noun South Midland and Southern U.S.
a self-important person.
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Origin of king bee

1890–95, Americanism; on the model of queen bee
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use king bee in a sentence

  • He's the king bee of all the Rebels in these heah parts, an' they think he kin 'bout make the sun stand still ef he wants ter.

    The Red Acorn|John McElroy
  • And then there ain't such a thing as a king bee anyhow—queens, drones and workers make up a colony.

  • I wanted to win rank in the army—and I did; I ranked everybody as the king-bee of insubordination.

    Gabriel Tolliver|Joel Chandler Harris
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