WordGarden.iohoneybee
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /hˈʌnɪbˌiː/
US
- /ˈhəniˌbi/
Meanings
Noun
a bee that lives in colonies and produces honey
Beyond the definition
A honeybee is a social bee that lives in a hive and is known for making honey. It flies from flower to flower to collect nectar and pollen, and as it moves, it helps plants grow fruits and seeds through pollination. People often think of it as a small, striped worker that plays an important part in gardens, farms, and wild places.
It also lives as part of a group, with a queen and many worker bees. Honeybees can even show one another where to find flowers by using special movements. In everyday English, the word usually brings to mind a bee that makes honey and helps flowers grow.
Imagine a small striped bee moving from flower to flower. That is the picture most people have in mind when they hear the word "honeybee." A honeybee is a kind of social bee that lives in a hive, makes honey, and helps pollinate flowering plants. In careful use, the word often refers to bees of the genus Apis, especially the western honey bee, but in everyday English it usually means the familiar honey-making bee people see in gardens, fields, and farms.
Life inside a hive is highly organized. There is a queen that lays eggs, worker bees that gather nectar and pollen and care for the hive, and drones whose main role is to mate with a queen. When worker bees visit flowers, pollen sticks to their bodies and is carried to other flowers. This helps plants make seeds and fruit. The nectar they collect is brought back to the hive and changed into honey.
The word is often used when talking about nature, farming, food, or the environment. A honeybee can mean the insect itself, or sometimes the whole kind of bee known for living in groups and producing honey. Because these bees are important pollinators, they are often mentioned in discussions about crops, gardens, and the health of ecosystems.
Examples
- 1
Garden
A honeybee kept returning to the same white flowers in the yard.
- 2
Farming
Many farmers rely on honeybees to help pollinate their crops.
- 3
Colony health
Scientists are trying to understand why some honeybee colonies are getting weaker.
- Phrasehoneybee colony
a large group of honeybees living together
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- honeybeenoun
Forms
- honeybeespluralnoun