Definition

Noun: * A colorful, chiefly tropical Old World bird belonging to the family Meropidae, characterized by a strong, graceful flight. It is named for its diet, which feeds especially on bees and other flying insects.

Usage

• The term "bee eater" is a common name for a specific family of birds. It is typically used in ornithology, birdwatching, and general descriptive contexts.
• It functions as a countable noun (e.g., a bee eater, two bee eaters).

Examples

• We were lucky to spot a bee eater perched on the telephone wire.
• The vibrant green and blue plumage of the bee eater makes it easy to identify.
• Bee eaters catch their prey in mid-air with impressive agility.

Advanced Usage

• The name directly describes the bird's primary feeding habit, making it an example of a functionally descriptive common name in zoology.
• While "bee eater" specifies a diet of bees, these birds also consume wasps, dragonflies, and other insects.

Variants and Related Words

• Meropidae (n): The scientific family name for all bee eater species.
• European bee-eater () (n): A specific, well-known species of bee eater found in Europe and parts of Asia and Africa.

Synonyms

• There is no direct single-word synonym for "bee eater" as it is a specific common name. Descriptive phrases like "insectivorous bird of the Meropidae family" can be used in scientific contexts.

Related Phrases

• To eat like a bird: (Idiom) To eat very little. (Note: This idiom is unrelated to the feeding habits of the actual bee eater, which consumes many insects daily).

Noun

1. colorful chiefly tropical Old World bird having a strong graceful flight; feeds on especially bees