the birds and the bees
plural noun
informal + humorous
: the facts about sex that are told to children
He dreaded having to explain about the birds and the bees to his son.
Examples of the birds and the bees in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No one will teach you unless your parents are talking the birds and the bees of money or a mentor is setting you straight early on.
—
Hisham Ahmad, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Maybe this explains why the teen has precisely zero friends to tell her about the birds and the bees.
—Zoe Haylock, Vulture, 16 May 2024
To wake up with the birds and the bees and the trees.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2024
Those can be the birds and the bees, yes, but also butterflies, beetles, and bats.
—Gabriela Riccardi, Quartz, 8 May 2024
Jesse and Christophe, holding hands, look on in fascinated awe—Jesse perhaps teaching the young Christophe the birds and the bees—while the couple, out in the open, displays no shyness.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
Edward Segarra Most parents talk to their kids about the birds and the bees.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
There’s more than merely the birds and the bees conversation (buckle up).
—Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 8 Aug. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hisham Ahmad, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Maybe this explains why the teen has precisely zero friends to tell her about the birds and the bees.
—Zoe Haylock, Vulture, 16 May 2024
To wake up with the birds and the bees and the trees.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2024
Those can be the birds and the bees, yes, but also butterflies, beetles, and bats.
—Gabriela Riccardi, Quartz, 8 May 2024
Jesse and Christophe, holding hands, look on in fascinated awe—Jesse perhaps teaching the young Christophe the birds and the bees—while the couple, out in the open, displays no shyness.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
Edward Segarra Most parents talk to their kids about the birds and the bees.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
There’s more than merely the birds and the bees conversation (buckle up).
—Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 8 Aug. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near the birds and the bees
Cite this Entry
“The birds and the bees.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20birds%20and%20the%20bees. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share