queen bee

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noun

a fertile female bee.

a woman who is in a favored or preeminent position.

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Origin of queen bee

First recorded in 1600–10

Words nearby queen bee

queen, Queen Anne, Queen Anne's Bounty, Queen Anne's lace, Queen Anne's War, queen bee, Queenborough in Sheppey, queencake, Queen Charlotte Islands, Queen City, queen closer

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

How to use queen bee in a sentence

Like a queen bee, the DNA molecule runs its cellular kingdom, dispatching orders for a myriad of cellular functions.
The Rise of RNA Therapeutics - Issue 107: The Edge|Lina Zeldovich|September 29, 2021|Nautilus
To test all this, the team brought queen bees to its lab and then exposed them to each of these conditions.
Learning what stresses queen bees could save their hives|Sharon Oosthoek|October 30, 2020|Science News For Students
The reigning queen of hip-hop treads the boards in her teen years.
Nicki Minaj: High School Actress|Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The last time there was a raid of this scale was in 2001, when 52 men were arrested on Queen Boat, a floating disco on the Nile.
Sisi Is Persecuting, Prosecuting, and Publicly Shaming Egypt’s Gays|Bel Trew|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

When they invade new territory, populations are low, and the queen has limited mate options.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even the queen saw fit to honor him with the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace in 2008.
The Greatest Rock Voice of All Time Belonged to Joe Cocker|Ted Gioia|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A palace insider however insisted to the Daily Beast today that the Queen was not about to abdicate.
Could The Queen Abdicate on Christmas Day?|Tom Sykes|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All along the highways and by-paths of our literature we encounter much that pertains to this "queen of plants."
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
A fancy came into my head that I would entertain the king and queen with an English tune upon this instrument.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Q was a Queen, who wore a silk slip; R was a Robber, and wanted a whip.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
One of her humours was to unite the son of her minister, with a niece of the widowed Queen of Saint Germain's.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
As night began to settle down over the land, the Queen Elizabeth seemed to feel the time had come to give full vent to her wrath.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for queen bee

queen bee

noun

the fertile female bee in a hive

informal a woman in a position of dominance or ascendancy over her peers or associates

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

queen bee

Origin of queen bee

Words nearby queen bee

Words related to queen bee

How to use queen bee in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for queen bee