noun
bee
BEE
noun
1
A flying insect that collects pollen and nectar, and in many species produces honey and wax.
"A bee landed on the flower and began gathering pollen."
"Bees are essential for pollinating many crops."
2
A gathering where people work together on a task, or compete, such as a spelling bee or quilting bee.
"She won the regional spelling bee three years running."
How to Use Bee
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe stinging, pollen-collecting insect — or, in another sense, a community event where people gather to do something together or compete.
Common pairings
spelling bee
swarm of bees
busy as a bee
Word Forms
bees plural, been plural, bees plural, bees plural, bees plural, bees plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “bee”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ landed on the flower and began gathering pollen.
Etymology
From Old English beo, tracing back through Proto-Germanic to a very old Proto-Indo-European root simply meaning "bee."