African bee

noun

1

: a honeybee native to Africa

specifically : one (Apis melliferascutellata) native to sub-Saharan Africa that aggressively defends its hive and was introduced into Brazil in the 1950s where it subsequently hybridized with the European honeybee to produce Africanized bees

Scientists wanted a bee that … could tolerate the tropical climate, like the African bee.

—Elizabeth Fitzsimons, San Diego Union Tribune, 4 Oct. 2002

2

: africanized bee

Southern California is beginning to see an increase of African bees, and beekeepers all over the state are on the front lines of defense …

—Debbie Croft, Merced (California) Sun-Star, 24 Apr. 2010

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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