hives

American  

[hahyvz] / haɪvz /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. any of various eruptive conditions of the skin, as the wheals of urticaria.

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hives British  

/ haɪvz /

noun

1. (functioning as singular or plural) pathol a nontechnical name for urticaria

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hives Scientific  

/ hīvz /

1. A skin condition characterized by transient, itching welts, usually resulting from an allergic reaction.

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hives Cultural  

1. A condition characterized by the sudden appearance of red, raised areas on the skin that itch severely. Hives may be caused by an allergic reaction (see allergy) to foods or other substances.

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Etymology

Origin of hives

First recorded in 1490–1500; originally Scots; of obscure origin

Example Sentences

This club of apiarists -- ranging from hobbyists to full-time commercial bee farmers -- gathers regularly to learn new skills and discuss tricky problems, not least the parasitic varroa mites that plague their hives.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

Novartis said the drug offers a differentiated mechanism that, if confirmed clinically, could support earlier symptom relief, stronger disease control and more convenient dosing across food allergy, hives, allergic asthma and other diseases.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Working with collaborators from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Queen Mary University of London, Nieh and his team studied bees in controlled hives designed to mimic natural conditions.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Cities are squalid crime hives that need to be tamed or abandoned in the Sheridanverse, whereas small towns and Western vistas are quaint canvases fertile with possibility.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

The economies of states and countries that depend on honeybee-pollinated crops collapse shortly after the hives.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Related Words

• epidemic
• eruption
• flood
• spate
• wave