bee en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰey-der. Proto-Germanic *bijǭ Proto-West Germanic *bijā Old English bēo Middle English be English bee From Middle English be, bee, beo, bey, from Old English bēo, bīo (“bee”), from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic *bijǭ (“bee”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”). Cognates Cognate with Yola been (“bees”), North Frisian bi (“bee”), West Frisian bij (“bee”), Dutch bij, by (“bee”), German Biene (“bee”), Limburgish Bé, bie (“bee”), Luxembourgish Bei (“bee”), Vilamovian byn (“bee”), West Flemish bieë (“bee”), Yiddish בין (bin, “bee”), Danish and Swedish bi (“bee”), Faroese býfluga (“bee”), Icelandic bý, býfluga (“bee”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk bie (“bee”); also Irish beach, meach (“bee”), Scottish Gaelic beach (“bee; beehive; wasp”), Latin fūcus (“bee”), Latvian bite (“bee”), Lithuanian bitė (“bee”), Belarusian пчала́ (pčalá, “bee”), Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian пчела́ (pčelá, “bee”), Czech včála, včela (“bee”), Polish pszczoła (“bee”), Serbo-Croatian пчѐла, bčela, pčèla (“bee”), Slovak včela (“bee”), Slovene čebela (“bee”), Ukrainian бджола́ (bdžolá, “bee”), Ossetian биндзӕ (binʒæ), бындз (bynʒ, “fly”), Pashto وينه (waynë́, wenë́, wuynë́, “termite; white ant”).
Meanings
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A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for collecting pollen and (in some species) producing wax and honey.
New insights into bee movements and life cycles have been uncovered after researchers tracked the insects using tiny QR codes glued onto their backs. […] “This suggests that most of the foraging that the bees do occurs very close to the hive,” study co-author Margarita López-Uribe, an associate professor of entomology at PSU, told CNN on Monday.
2025 January 28, Jack Guy, “Tiny QR codes help scientists track bee movements”, in CNN, archived from the original on 08 Mar 2025:Bees are the moſt excellent of all Inſects vvhatſoever, and expreſſe both vvorth and vvonder in all their vvaies: […]
1657, Samuel Purchas, “The Excellency of Bees”, in A Theatre of Politicall Flying-Insects. […], London: […] R. I. for Thomas Parkhurst, […], →OCLC, page 1:He stood across in the other garden, beside a bush of pale Michaelmas daisies, watching the last bees crawl into the hive.
1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 12”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:Ariell: / Where the Bee ſucks, there ſuck I, / In a Cowslips bell, I lie, / There I cowch when Owles doe crie, / On the Batts backe I doe flie / after Sommer merrily. / Merrily, merrily, ſhall I liue now / Vnder the bloſſom that hangs on the Bow.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 17:Can there be a more formall, and better ordered policie, divided into so severall charges and offices, more constantly entertained, and better maintained, than that of Bees?
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:His face was belymmed as byes had him stounge[…].
1499, John Skelton, The Bowge of Courte:Bees pollinate many of the world’s crops—a service estimated to be worth $15 billion a year in America alone.
2012 March 31, “Subtle poison”, in The Economist:An angry Wasp th'one in a viall had, / Th'other in hers an hony-laden Bee.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- (informal, proscribed) Any stinging flying insect, especially a wasp.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| bees | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| been | Number=Plur | dialectal | lexicographic |
Deriveds
bee candy · bee plant · bee balm · bee-hive · follow the bee · gold bee · bee sage · poppy bee · have a bee in your bonnet · bee orchid · bee-stung · sand bee · masked bee · East African lowland honey bee · bee-eater · beehood · working bee · squash and gourd bee · beefarm · Africanized honey bee · beeswing · long-faced miner bee · little green bee-eater · Italian bee · beeswarm · beemageddon · leaf-cutter bee · bee farm · leafcutter bee · beebrush · spotted bee balm · bee beard · southeastern blueberry bee · honey bee · bee assassin · mason bee · sting like a bee · beeyard · green bee-eater · sweat bee · violet carpenter bee · mining bee · bee purple · busy as a bee · blue-cheeked bee-eater · African bee · bee in one's bonnet · bee violet · bee pirate · bee-utiful · bee tree · European dark bee · bee wolf · queen bee acid · worker bee · queen bee · beeherd · beekeeper · chronic bee paralysis virus · killer bee · quilting bee · antibee · beepocalypse · bee louse · busy bee · black bee · alkali bee · beeman · beeproof · hive bee · beeline · bee hoon · nameless bee disease · bumble-bee · beemother · apple bee · beeswax · bee gum · beehive · beey · carder bee · beehouse · leaf-cutting bee · bee moth · Kashmir bee hawkmoth · cuckoo bee · artificial bee colony · European bee-eater · bee hotel · bee bearding · orchid bee · beedom · bee fly · bee's knees · bee bread · blood bee · bee vacuum · beelike · put the bee on · upholsterer bee · nanobee · bee up one's ass · bee hawkmoth · bee-line · bee sting · beely · Beetown · bumble bee · dog-bee · bee hole · vulture bee · like a bee in clover · bee mother · horse-bee · common carder bee · ke-mo sah-bee · humble-bee · bee farming · bee wine · beewort · resin bee · bee-bread · beekeeping · Chronic bee paralysis virus · digger bee · beekind · beeish · apple-bee · Wallace's giant bee · beeskep · bee hummingbird · stingless bee · carpenter bee · mumble-bee · beemaster · bee baw babbity · beeless · coppice mining bee · squash bee · bee-brained · bee beetle · beefarming · bumblebee · bee glue · bee bite · Africanized bee · beeling · rock bee · bee ball · plasterer bee · meat bee · honeybee
Descendants
Hypernyms
Relateds
waggle dance · duplet (equipment) · hive · apiarian · sacbrood (diseases) · Langstroth hive (hives) · colony collapse disorder (diseases) · beehive · chalkbrood (diseases) · drone (castes) · worker (castes) · pollinator · apimania · beekeeping · corbicula · eusocial · apian · sting · foulbrood (diseases) · super (equipment) · beeswax (substances) · skep (hives) · topbar (equipment) · queen (castes) · beehouse (hives) · apiology · honeycomb (substances) · apitherapy · swarm · queen-cage (equipment) · wasp · honey (substances) · apiary (hives) · apiarist · tremble dance · sarothrum · bee smoker (equipment) · dumbledore · propolis (substances) · stonebrood (diseases) · hornet · scopa · worker bee (castes) · Beowulf · queen bee (castes) · varroa (diseases) · honey extractor (equipment) · nosema (diseases) · royal jelly (substances) · beebread (substances) · ambrosia (substances) · bee escape (equipment) · apidictor (equipment) · apiculture
Synonyms
Translations (461)
krl meheläini (insect) · he דְּבוֹרָה (insect) · ake akʉ (insect) · wa moxhe d' apî (insect) · mk пчела (insect) · fa زَنْبور (insect) · nl bij (insect) · hil putyokan (insect) · zai bizu (insect) · rue пчола (insect) · om kaanniissa (insect) · nv tłʼéʼííłnííʼ (insect) · pau chelatngikl (insect) · ti ንህቢ (insect) · sid dida (insect) · st notshi (insect) · wyi manerlong (insect) · alt аару (insect) · gcf mouch a myèl (insect) · tpi bi (insect) · nym nzuki (insect) · sl čebela (insect) · wa moxhe al låme (insect) · roa-gal avètt (insect) · kl igutsak (insect) · kab tizizwit (insect) · grc μέλιττα (insect) · ta தேனீ (insect) · ruq albină (insect) · amu kích'i (insect) · pox čelă (insect) · hak 糖蜂仔 (insect) · arn diwmeñ (insect) · nso nôse (insect) · nl honingbij (insect) · itl kzumx (insect) · unm amëwe (insect) · az arı (insect) · kg nyosi (insect) · fo býfluga (insect) · scn lapa (insect) · as মৌমাখি (insect) · fur âv (insect) · gug eiru (insect) · ky причуда (insect) · lld ê (insect) · uk бджола́ (insect) · lg enjuki (insect) · xal зөг (insect) · lu nnyikì (insect) · myv мекш (insect) · vec ava (insect) · gni wida (insect) · ar نحلة (insect) · mzn کنگلی (insect) · tg ору (insect) · sdn abba (insect) · wmw nyuki (insect) · sdc aba (insect) · khv пар (insect) · mwf pangkima (insect) · chr ᏩᏚᎵᏏ (insect) · zh 蜂 (insect) · os мыдыбындз (insect) · ab ашьха (insect) · th ภมร (insect) · zh 蜜蜂 (insect) · ja 花蜂 (insect) · ki njũkĩ (insect) · xnb anu (insect) · rm avieul (insect) · mg tantely (insect) · lua lunyuki (insect) · lzz ბუტკუჯი (insect) · sga bech (insect) · zh мифыр (insect) · abe ômwa (insect) · qu abiha (insect) · ar نَحْلَة (insect) · apw gosnih (insect) · mt naħla (insect) · wao túš (insect) · ky бал аарысы (insect) · ln nzói (insect) · ang bēo (insect) · nds Imm (insect) · ckb ھەنگ (insect) · de Biene (insect) · jv ꦠꦮꦺꦴꦤ꧀ (insect) · txb krokśe (insect) · mic amu (insect) · ms tawon (insect) · wal mattaa (insect) · yua kaab (insect) · ext abehita (insect) · mi pī (insect) · yo oyin (insect) · kw gwenen (insect) · dlm juopa (insect) · tpn eíra (insect) · bh मधुमाखी (insect) · br gwenanenn (insect) · arc ܕܒܫܬܐ (insect) · esu mertaq (insect) · hop momo (insect) · ay mamuraya (insect) · nrf moûque à myi (insect) · wuu 蜜蜂 (insect) · srn oni (insect) · gd seillean (insect) · km ឃ្មុំ (insect) · rmq jernimachí (insect) · wa moxhe di tchetoere (insect) · doz ma (insect) · mnk kumburuŋo (insect) · or ମହୁମାଛି (insect) · jje 벌 (insect) · mpi mam (insect) · tpi binen (insect) · wa moxhe (insect) · ne मौरी (insect) · ht myèl (insect) · dua ndômbi (insect) · ms lebah (insect) · sq mjalcë (insect) · kk ара (insect) · ast abeya (insect) · jv tawon (insect) · tl bubuyog (insect) · rup alghinã (insect) · rsk пчола (insect) · ga beach (insect) · kxd penyangat (insect) · bo སྦྲང་མ (insect) · loz muka (insect) · zh фыр (insect) · an abella (insect) · rom berorî (insect) · gan 蜜蜂 (insect) · cu ⰱⱏⱍⰵⰾⰰ (insect) · ar نحل (insect) · xda nyittik (insect) · kqr kawad (insect) · gl abella (insect) · rm aviöl (insect) · kaw tawwan (insect) · ady бжьэ (insect) · nrf bourdon à myi (insect) · lo ພູມມະຣະ (insect) · sa मधुलिह् (insect) · lu lunyuki (insect) · ps مچئِي (insect) · pap bei (insect) · hif madhmakkhi (insect) · ur شَہْد کی مَکھّی (insect) · ti ንሕቢ (insect) · bg пчела́ (insect) · ar نَحْل (insect) · kam nzũkĩ (insect) · sd مک (insect) · rm avioul (insect) · fa گَبْت (insect) · fur âf (insect) · sg nzói (insect) · abx buwani (insect) · ceb putyokan (insect) · fa کَلیز (insect) · sq bletë (insect) · ve notshi class 9/10 (insect) · sh pčèla (insect) · ttj orujoki class 11 (insect) · io abelo (insect) · aoz oni (insect) · de Biine (insect) · fa اَنْگ (insect) · sva ბუზუ̄ლ (insect) · yi בין (insect) · su nyiruan (insect) · tg занбӯр (insect) · ii ꐚ (insect) · ak wowa (insect) · ale aanasnaadax (insect) · cu ⰱⱐⱍⰵⰾⰰ (insect) · umb nyihi (insect) · te తేనెటీగ (insect) · swb nyoshi (insect) · xmf სკა (insect) · ia ape (insect) · chl 'evéexa' (insect) · ml ഭസനം (insect) · cjy 蜜蜂 (insect) · haw nalo (insect) · tt бал корты (insect) · ky сейил (insect) · oj ᐋᒨ (insect) · bjn wanyi (insect) · sk včela (insect) · non bý (insect) · qu mapa mama (insect) · nah xicohtli (insect) · ro albină (insect) · cy gwenynen (insect) · luo kich (insect) · sh пчѐла (insect) · sa भ्रमर (insect) · sc àbe (insect) · sne bonyih (insect) · oc abelha (insect) · ps بلۍ مچۍ (insect) · sg inyusi (insect) · mnc ᡥᡳᠪᠰᡠ ᡝᠵᡝᠨ (insect) · kw gwenenen (insect) · lad bézba (insect) · zh 蠟蜂 /蜡蜂 (insect) · enm be (insect) · is bý (insect) · abs niri (insect) · rcf zabèy (insect) · rw uruyuki class 11/10 (insect) · ks تُلٕر (insect) · ltg bite (insect) · aqc тӏантӏ (insect) · ja 蜂 (insect) · zza hıng (diq) (insect) · xsv bite (insect) · khb ᦕᦹᧂᧉ (insect) · hz onyuitkhi (insect) · bug awani (insect) · pdt Bie (insect) · it pecchia (insect) · ia apicula (insect) · ka ფუტკარი (insect) · mvv maningot (insect) · so shinni (insect) · rgn eva (insect) · nv tsísʼná (insect) · es abeja (insect) · my ပျား (insect) · pi bhamara (insect) · mh pi (insect) · tl pukyot (insect) · sv bi (insect) · txb kronkśe (insect) · ky аары (insect) · de Beivogl (Styrian) (insect) · hak 蜂仔 (insect) · mww muv (insect) · orv бьчела (insect) · roa-opt abella (insect) · dtp pomosuon (insect) · nl imme (insect) · lmw méenani (insect) · as মধুকৰ (insect) · crh arı (insect) · co apa (insect) · lis ꓐꓬꓽ (insect) · sw nyuki (insect) · lo ພະມະຣະ (insect) · mas ol-otórokî (insect) · id tawon (insect) · kac lagat (insect) · ccc kasenujsi (insect) · da bi (insect) · sro abi (insect) · dlm juop (insect) · br gwenan (insect) · ru пчела́ (insect) · za rwi (insect) · pt abelha (insect) · sah ыҥырыа (insect) · hsb pčoła (insect) · yue 蜜蜂 (insect) · fr abeille (insect) · wni nyoshi class 9/10 (insect) · udm муш (insect) · ext obispa (insect) · bbl ფუტკარ (insect) · ca abella (insect) · yo kòkòrò oyin (insect) · ml ഘണ്ഡം (insect) · gv shellan (insect) · ani пера (insect) · el μέλισσα (insect) · zh мифынзы (insect) · cho foi (insect) · be пчала́ (insect) · kkz tsʼedāsnāne (insect) · af by (insect) · pa ਮਧੁ ਮਕ੍ਖੀ (insect) · hsn 蜜蜂子 (insect) · lo ເຜິ້ງ (insect) · cv пыл хурчӗ (insect) · lt bitė (insect) · bem buci (insect) · nnt aa-moak (insect) · luy inzushi (insect) · de Bii (insect) · sn nyuchi (insect) · zu inyosi (insect) · sc abe (insect) · gcf myèl (insect) · bo སྦྲང་རྩི་མྱོང (insect) · mwl abeilha (insect) · lb Bei (insect) · iu ᒥᓗᒋᐊᖅ (insect) · rap manu meri (insect) · ar نحلة (insect) · wrh ngaraang (insect) · fy bij (insect) · li bie (insect) · th ภุมรี (insect) · ba бал ҡорто (insect) · am ንብ (insect) · ktb disha (insect) · aoz onê (insect) · fro ef (insect) · ota آری (insect) · it ape (insect) · yub nyugay (insect) · kn ದುಂಬಿ (insect) · ur مَدھ مَکھّی (insect) · cs včela (insect) · cr ᐋᒨ (insect) · tzm ⵜⵉⵣⵉⵣⵡⵉⵜ (insect) · ban nyawan (insect) · hu méh (insect) · th ผึ้ง (insect) · scn lapuni (insect) · ky сайран (insect) · yao lujuci (insect) · bn মৌমাছি (insect) · hus dhom (insect) · fa موسِه (insect) · evn ётыла (insect) · ko 벌 (insect) · pot amo (insect) · crh balqurt (insect) · hi मधुमक्खी (insect) · duu kua (insect) · bo རྡུལ་ཉལ (insect) · zku gadlabarti (insect) · nap apa (insect) · kum балжибин (insect) · si මීමැස්සා (insect) · uz ari (insect) · av на (insect) · lnj malay (insect) · bcl putyukan (insect) · uli bii (insect) · kmr hing (insect) · uz ари (insect) · se mieđašeatni (insect) · eu erle (insect) · ext ovispa (insect) · ny njuchi (insect) · co aba (insect) · shi tazzwit (insect) · stq Ieme (insect) · gug eira rúa (insect) · agn boyong-boyong (insect) · gcf miyèl (insect) · lv bite (insect) · bi bi (insect) · ko 밀봉 (insect) · aho 𑜇𑜢𑜤𑜂𑜫 (insect) · kqn injuki (insect) · csb pszczoła (insect) · ug ھەرە (insect) · wym byn (insect) · aer urltampe (insect) · ml ഇണ്ട (insect) · oj aamoo (insect) · pdc Iem (insect) · fa مُنْج (insect) · gu મધમાખી (insect) · eo abelo (insect) · fi mehiläinen (insect) · gun eiru (insect) · tn notshi (insect) · kbd бжьэ (insect) · ilo uyokan (insect) · hy մեղու (insect) · de Imme (insect) · mn зөгий (insect) · mr मधमाशी (insect) · vot čimolain (insect) · izh mehiläin (insect) · mr मधुकर (insect) · mas ol-otóròì (insect) · dsb pcołka (insect) · id lebah (insect) · aa diidaleyta (insect) · arn kormeña (insect) · lad bízba (insect) · vo bien (insect) · shn ၽိုင်ႈ (insect) · chy háhnoma (insect) · mfe abey (insect) · chn antʰiyeɬ (insect) · mel anyi (insect) · ktu nyósi (insect) · lus khuai (insect) · bo བུང་བ (insect) · rm aviul (insect) · grc μέλισσα (insect) · lmo avi (insect) · pl pszczoła (insect) · mi ngaro huruhuru (insect) · ky фантазия (insect) · inh накхармоз (insect) · xh inyosi (insect) · ps غلاوزه (insect) · et mesilane (insect) · byn laxla (insect) · yai замбур (insect) · cdo 蜜蜂 (insect) · tyv ары (insect) · tt умырта корты (insect) · tk ary (insect) · mnp 糖蜂 (insect) · alt адару (insect) · crk ᐊᒧ (insect) · fa زَنْبورِ عَسَل (insect) · ota زنبور (insect) · cr aamoo (insect) · kne yukan (insect) · cu бьчела (insect) · kmb nhoki (insect) · egy bit-t:Z1 (insect) · zdj nyoshi (insect) · haw nalo meli (insect) · mdf меш (insect) · mnw သာဲ (insect) · sm lago-meli (insect) · rw uru-yuki (insect) · ky эмгекчил адам (insect) · vi ong (insect) · de Imp (insect) · tr arı (insect) · bua зүгы (insect) · fr mouche à miel (insect) · tet bani (insect) · ig anwụ (insect) · wo yamb wi (insect) · sva ლა̈ღუ̂ბა̈ ბუზუ̄ლ (insect) · is býfluga (insect) · frp avilye (insect) · cu бъчела (insect) · no bie (insect) · wam ashkeaumooussog (insect) · ce накхармоза (insect) · sva ღუ̂ებ (insect) · mn ᠵᠥᠭᠡᠢ (insect) · lus khawivah (insect) · fa بُوْز (insect) · bdr buani (insect) · pau chelakngikl (insect) · la apis (insect) · gmw-cfr Bien (insect) · lo ພະມະໂຣ (insect) · ha zuma (insect)