leaf-cutting bee


noun
  1. any of the bees of the family Megachilidae that cut circular pieces from leaves or flowers to line their nests.

Origin of leaf-cutting bee

1
First recorded in 1795–1805

Words Nearby leaf-cutting bee

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use leaf-cutting bee in a sentence

  • The Rose leaf-cutting bee spoils the foliage by cutting semi-circular pieces out of the leaves to line its nest.

    Roses and Rose Growing | Rose Georgina Kingsley
  • Well, the leaf-cutting bee is even less well off than ourselves.

    Insect Adventures | J. Henri Fabre
  • Sometimes the leaf-cutting bee has time to alight and stick her head into the mouth of the pit.

    Insect Adventures | J. Henri Fabre
  • A clever burglar, the parasite of the leaf-cutting bee, receives a sound whipping under my eyes.

    Insect Adventures | J. Henri Fabre