bee

bee — noun

1. an insect with black-and-yellow markings that feeds on flower nectar, makes hone

1.nounB1
Definition

an insect with black-and-yellow markings that feeds on flower nectar, makes honey, and may hurt you with its sting

Example

A bee landed on Emma's sleeve while she picked peaches.

bee + land on something

By noon, bees were moving between the lavender plants in rows.

Common collocations
  • honey bee
  • queen bee
  • worker bee
  • bee sting
  • swarm of bees
Synonyms
  • honeybee

    a narrower word for the common hive bee that makes honey

  • bumblebee

    a larger, hairier kind of bee

  • insect

    a much broader word; a bee is one type of insect

Grammar Patterns

a bee stings somebody

bees buzz around flowers

a bee lands on something

Usage Note

Often used in compounds such as honey bee, queen bee, and worker bee. Distinguish from sense 2, where bee names a gathering rather than an insect.

Common Mistakes

A bee bit my arm.
A bee stung my arm.
Bees are usually said to sting, not bite.

2. an event where people gather to work together or compete in one named activity

2.noun
Definition

an event where people gather to work together or compete in one named activity

Example

At the school spelling bee, Nora won with the word "camera."

compound pattern: spelling bee

The church sewing bee met every Tuesday before the winter fair.

compound pattern: sewing bee

Common collocations
  • spelling bee
  • sewing bee
  • quilting bee
  • work bee
Synonyms
  • gathering

    broader and does not show the shared task or contest clearly

  • contest

    fits competitive events like a spelling bee, but not shared work

  • work party

    fits the shared-labor use, but not competitions

Grammar Patterns

spelling bee

sewing bee

work bee

Usage Note

Most often appears after a noun that names the activity, especially spelling, sewing, quilting, or work. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to the flying insect.

Common Mistakes

Our school had a bee of spelling.
Our school had a spelling bee.
In this sense, bee usually comes after the activity noun.
Idioms

as busy as a bee

idiom

Working very hard and actively.

Maya was as busy as a bee preparing for the party.

Are you as busy as a bee with your new job?

the bee’s knees

idiom

An excellent person or thing.

Diego thinks his new phone is the bee's knees.

Sara considered her grandmother's apple pie the bee's knees.

the birds and the bees

idiom

Basic information about sex, often taught to children.

Dad explained the birds and the bees to his son.

Have you talked to your daughter about the birds and the bees?

have a bee in your bonnet (about something)

idiom

To talk or think about something constantly because you consider it very important.

Aiden has a bee in his bonnet about recycling.

Why does she have a bee in her bonnet about punctuality?

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, bee is the broad everyday word for this kind of stinging insect. Honeybee is narrower and usually means the social kind kept in hives for honey. Bumblebee names a larger, rounder bee with a very hairy body and a deeper buzz. Wasp is often confused with bee, but it is a different insect: wasps are usually slimmer, smoother, and less furry. A child may see a bee on a flower, a beekeeper may collect honey from honeybees, and a big fuzzy insect near tomato plants is likely a bumblebee. If the insect has a thin body and bright yellow stripes, it may be a wasp instead.

bee ↗honeybee ↗bumblebeewasp ↗

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Bee is a very old English word. It comes from Old English beo, from an earlier Germanic root also found in related words in other Germanic languages. English kept the short everyday form, and later the word was also used for gatherings where people worked together, probably by comparison with busy bees.