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

European honeybees regularly comb through the hairy area under their nest mates wings using their mandibles. —Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2025

Since then, humans have launched all sorts of creatures into space, including tortoises, frogs, cockroaches, honeybees, jellyfish and more. 8. —Regina Kim, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for honeybee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

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