bee
1
[ bee ]
/ bi /
noun
any hymenopterous insect of the superfamily Apoidea, including social and solitary species of several families, as the bumblebees, honeybees, etc.
the common honeybee, Apis mellifera.
a community social gathering in order to perform some task, engage in a contest, etc.: a sewing bee; a spelling bee; a husking bee.
Idioms for bee
Origin of bee
1
before 1000; Middle English
be(e); Old English
bīo, bēo; cognate with Dutch
bij, Old Saxon
bī, bini, Old High German
bīa, bini (German
Biene), Old Norse
bȳ; with other suffixes, Lithuanian
bìtė, OPruss
bitte, OCS
bĭchela, Old Irish
bech;
*bhi- is a North European stem with the same distribution as
wax1,
apple;
put the bee on probably an allusion to
sting in sense “dupe, cheat”
OTHER WORDS FROM bee
bee·like, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bee
be beeWords nearby bee
beduin,
bedwarmer,
bedwetter,
bedwetting,
bedworth,
bee,
bee balm,
bee beetle,
bee bird,
bee block,
bee fly
Definition for bee (2 of 3)
bee
2
[ bee ]
/ bi /
noun
Also called bee block. Nautical.
a piece of hardwood, bolted to the side of a bowsprit, through which to reeve stays.
Obsolete.
a metal ring or bracelet.
Origin of bee
2
before 1050; Middle English
beh ring, Old English
bēag, bēah; cognate with Old Frisian
bāg, Old Saxon, Middle Low German
bōg, Old High German
boug, Old Norse
baugr, Sanskrit
bhoga-; akin to
bow1
Definition for bee (3 of 3)
B.E.E.
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering.
Example sentences from the Web for bee
British Dictionary definitions for bee (1 of 4)
bee
1
/ (biː) /
noun
any hymenopterous insect of the superfamily Apoidea, which includes social forms such as the honeybee and solitary forms such as the carpenter bee
See also bumblebee, mason bee Related adjective: apian
busy bee
a person who is industrious or has many things to do
have a bee in one's bonnet
to be preoccupied or obsessed with an idea
Word Origin for bee
Old English
bīo; related to Old Norse
bӯ, Old High German
bīa, Dutch
bij, Swedish
bi
British Dictionary definitions for bee (2 of 4)
bee
2
/ (biː) /
noun
a social gathering for a specific purpose, as to carry out a communal task or hold competitions
quilting bee
See spelling bee
Word Origin for bee
C18: perhaps from dialect
bean neighbourly help, from Old English
bēn boon
British Dictionary definitions for bee (3 of 4)
bee
3
/ (biː) /
noun
nautical
a small sheave with one cheek removed and the pulley and other cheek fastened flat to a boom or another spar, used for reeving outhauls or stays
Word Origin for bee
Old English
bēag; related to Old High German
boug ring, Old Norse
bogi a bow
British Dictionary definitions for bee (4 of 4)
BEE
abbreviation for (in South Africa)
Black Economic Empowerment: a government policy aimed at encouraging and supporting shareholding by black people
Idioms and Phrases with bee
bee