queen bee
Americannoun
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a fertile female bee.
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a woman who is in a favored or preeminent position.
noun
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the fertile female bee in a hive
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informal a woman in a position of dominance or ascendancy over her peers or associates
Etymology
Origin of queen bee
First recorded in 1600–10
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.
Now we’re on Vegas World; now we’re on Jurassic Planet; now we’re on a planet ruled by a gigantic queen bee.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Every actor oozed Main Character Energy, but the plot fully revolved around Silverstone’s Cher, the effervescent queen bee of Beverly Hills.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025
But the inherent humor in Glinda, the queen bee who claims she can make anyone popular, was instantly appealing, too.
From New York Times • Nov. 26, 2024
The four Ghostbusters, for instance, bring distinct skills and backgrounds to the table, while the witches in “The Craft” each embody a different archetype of teenage girlhood, from outcast to queen bee.
From Salon • Oct. 19, 2024
And Liza Guilfoyle, queen bee of the school.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
