royal jelly

noun

1. a viscous substance secreted from the pharyngeal glands of worker honeybees, fed to all larvae during their first few days and afterward only to those larvae selected to be queens.

royal jelly

noun

1. a substance secreted by the pharyngeal glands of worker bees and fed to all larvae when very young and to larvae destined to become queens throughout their development

Word History and Origins

Origin of royal jelly¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Beekeepers add it to food that worker bees include in the “royal jelly” they feed to the queen.

From Science Magazine

The vaccine is incorporated into royal jelly, a sugar feed given to queen bees.

From New York Times

Not only has honey production fallen, but with it the quantity of other products such as royal jelly, bee pollen, bee venom and bee glue known as propolis.

From Reuters

Worker bees make new queens by sealing eggs inside special cells with wax and feeding them royal jelly.

From BBC

As the name might suggest, the brand uses ingredients derived from bees including propolis, beeswax and royal jelly, which are known for having antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.

From Los Angeles Times