1
: any of numerous hymenopterous insects (superfamily Apoidea) that differ from the related wasps especially in the heavier hairier body and in having sucking as well as chewing mouthparts, that feed on pollen and nectar, and that store both and often also honey see africanized bee, bumblebee, carpenter bee, honeybee, sweat bee
2
: an eccentric notion : fancy
: the letter b
: a gathering of people for a specific purpose
a quilting bee
bachelor of electrical engineering
Synonyms
Examples of bee in a Sentence
Noun (1)
she got a sudden bee to quit her job and move to South Carolina
Recent Examples on the Web
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
But the same bees do buzz around her bonnet, over and over.
—Sloane Crosley, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Louis and Benson make the smart choice of establishing her as an officious queen bee, a lead sorority-sister type among her PKGs, an intensity that transmutes clearly into a vengeful streak once Dawn discovers and later embraces her powers.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Mayapple attracts several species of bee as well as blister beetles.
—Susan Degrane, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bee 
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Noun
Meta’s plans for an AI data center were disrupted by an unusual culprit—rare bees.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
But the same bees do buzz around her bonnet, over and over.
—Sloane Crosley, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Louis and Benson make the smart choice of establishing her as an officious queen bee, a lead sorority-sister type among her PKGs, an intensity that transmutes clearly into a vengeful streak once Dawn discovers and later embraces her powers.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Mayapple attracts several species of bee as well as blister beetles.
—Susan Degrane, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bee
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Cite this Entry
“Bee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bee. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bee
1 of 2 noun
: any of numerous insects (as the honeybees and bumblebees) that feed on pollen and nectar and sometimes produce honey and that differ from the wasps especially in the heavier hairier body and in having sucking as well as chewing mouthparts
bee
2 of 2 noun
: a gathering of people for a specific purpose
a quilting bee
Etymology
Noun
Old English bēo "bee"
Noun
perhaps from a dialect word been "help given by neighbors," derived from Old English bēn "prayer"
Medical Definition
bee
noun
: honeybee
broadly
: any of numerous hymenopteran insects (superfamily Apoidea) that differ from the related wasps especially in the heavier hairier body and in having sucking as well as chewing mouthparts, that feed on pollen and nectar, and that store both and often also honey see africanized bee
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