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solitary bee

American  

noun

  1. any of numerous bees, as the leaf-cutting bees, that do not live in a community.


Etymology

Origin of solitary bee

First recorded in 1820–30

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.

“If you were a bumblebee, a moth, or a short-tongued solitary bee, how might you approach this bloom?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Although solitary bee species have not been commercialized as much as honey bees, they provide essential—and free—pollination for many farmers.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 22, 2021

“They are really incredible for our environment and our habitat so people who rent them usually have orchards or gardens or want to help the solitary bee population,” she said.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2021

Jan. 26 Rath and composer Hoehn lead a garden walk-through of the solitary bee hotels and and other outdoor works, along with a tour of the gallery, from 1 to 3 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2020

These triongulins are the primary larvae of a parasite proper to a wild, obtuse-tongued, solitary bee, the Colletes, which builds its nest in subterranean galleries.

From The Life of the Bee by Sutro, Alfred

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