queen bee en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From queen + bee. Compare Middle English kyng of been (“queen bee”, literally “king of bees”).
Meanings
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A reproductive female (especially the only one) in a colony of bees.
It is generally believed that the queen bee mates only once in her lifetime.
1947, AI Root, The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture, Kessinger, published 2005, page 205:
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(colloquial, derogatory, idiomatic) The most important or dominant woman in an organization or situation.
She wrote very generously to aspiring women writers, gave them good advice, took time to read their manuscripts and comments, and warmly applauded their successes. There is not a hint of the Queen Bee in the attitude toward other women writers.
1981 February 14, Peg Cruikshank, “The Warmth Shines Through”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 29, page 15:She muttered to her mother, “There's that obnoxious redhead who thought she was the Queen Bee last year when she was a senior!”
2003, Jim Hatfield, Extra Marital Temptations, iUniverse, page 28:
- (figuratively) A stem cell.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| queen bees | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
Translations (76)
sq parëz (reproductive female bee) · es abeja reina (reproductive female bee) · ast abeya reina (reproductive female bee) · ro regină (reproductive female bee) · eu erlama (reproductive female bee) · cmn 蜂王 (reproductive female bee) · ang bēomōdor (reproductive female bee) · ne रानी मौरी (reproductive female bee) · ca abella reina (reproductive female bee) · fr reine (des abeilles) (reproductive female bee) · de Königin (reproductive female bee) · nrf péthe ès bourdons (reproductive female bee) · nb bidronning (reproductive female bee) · de Bienenkönig (reproductive female bee) · lv bišu māte (reproductive female bee) · shi agllid n tzzwa (reproductive female bee) · pt abelha-mestra (reproductive female bee) · jv guru tawon (reproductive female bee) · eo reĝinabelo (reproductive female bee) · pt abelha-rainha (reproductive female bee) · myv мекшава (reproductive female bee) · nl bijenkoningin (reproductive female bee) · kmr şaheng (reproductive female bee) · cs včelí královna (reproductive female bee) · io abelino (reproductive female bee) · la apis rēgīnae (reproductive female bee) · gl abella raíña (reproductive female bee) · ckb شاھەنگ (reproductive female bee) · nrf méthe ès moûques (reproductive female bee) · vi ong chúa (reproductive female bee) · nrf vielle des bourdes (reproductive female bee) · nn biedronning (reproductive female bee) · nl moer (reproductive female bee) · eo abelreĝino (reproductive female bee) · ga cráinbheach (reproductive female bee) · mk матица (reproductive female bee) · pl królowa (reproductive female bee) · ja 女王蜂 (reproductive female bee) · de Bienenmutter (reproductive female bee) · cho foi ishki ippokni (reproductive female bee) · mi pī huauri (reproductive female bee) · de Bienenkönigin (reproductive female bee) · sh mȁtica (reproductive female bee) · it ape regina (reproductive female bee) · ta இராணித் தேனீ (reproductive female bee) · sq bletë mëmë (reproductive female bee) · fi mehiläiskuningatar (reproductive female bee) · ast abeya maestra (reproductive female bee) · cy modrydaf (reproductive female bee) · vo jireg bienas (reproductive female bee) · fi kuningatarmehiläinen (reproductive female bee) · es abeja maestra (reproductive female bee) · sh ма̏тица (reproductive female bee) · sq rrojkë (reproductive female bee) · ro matcă (reproductive female bee) · gl abella mestra (reproductive female bee) · vo biejireg (reproductive female bee) · de Stockmutter (reproductive female bee) · hy մեղվամայր (reproductive female bee) · sv bidrottning (reproductive female bee) · ru ма́тка (reproductive female bee) · id lebah ratu (reproductive female bee) · nn bidronning (reproductive female bee) · fa زنبور ملکه (reproductive female bee) · de Weisel (reproductive female bee) · tr kraliçe arı (reproductive female bee) · el μέλισσα βασίλισσα (reproductive female bee) · cy mamwenynen (reproductive female bee) · cmn 蜂后 (reproductive female bee) · hy պարսամայր (reproductive female bee) · bg пчела́ ма́йка (reproductive female bee) · ast abadesa (reproductive female bee) · ko 여왕벌 (reproductive female bee) · ce э̄ла (reproductive female bee) · sq matkë (reproductive female bee) · hu méhkirálynő (reproductive female bee)