honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee ˈhə-nē-ˌbē 

variants or honey bee

: a honey-producing bee (genus Apis of the family Apidae)

especially : a European bee (A. mellifera) introduced worldwide and kept in hives for the honey it produces

Illustration of honeybee

• worker
• queen
• drone

Examples of honeybee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By the numbers: In Tennessee, the number of farms with honeybee colonies grew 7% in five years, from 2,674 in 2017 to 2,862 in 2022, per the USDA Census of Agriculture. —Simran Parwani, Axios, 17 July 2024

Their stingers deliver as much venom as a snake or seven times that of a honeybee. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024

The insects are also a threat to humans, as their sting is more dangerous than a honeybee’s, officials said. —Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024

Their honey production also invests in the local ecology of the land to support the long-term Pacific Northwest honeybee population. —Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee -ˌbē 

: a bee that produces honey and lives in colonies

especially : a European bee widely kept in hives for the honey it produces

Medical Definition

honeybee

noun

hon·​ey·​bee ˈhən-ē-ˌbē 

: a honey-producing bee (Apis and related genera)

especially : a European bee (A. mellifera) introduced worldwide and kept in hives for the honey it produces