royal jelly


noun

a viscous substance secreted from the pharyngeal glands of worker honeybees, fed to all larvae during their first few days and afterward only to those larvae selected to be queens.

Origin of royal jelly

First recorded in 1850–55

British Dictionary definitions for royal jelly

royal jelly

noun

a substance secreted by the pharyngeal glands of worker bees and fed to all larvae when very young and to larvae destined to become queens throughout their development