Definition

1. Noun:
   • A flying insect: A bee is a hairy-bodied insect, often with a sting, known for collecting pollen and nectar from flowers. Many species live in social colonies, while others are solitary.
   • A gathering for communal work or competition: A bee is a social meeting where people come together to perform a specific task or engage in a friendly contest.

Examples

• Noun (Insect):
  • A bee landed on the flower to collect pollen.
  • Honey bees are essential for pollinating many crops.
• Noun (Gathering):
  • The community organized a quilting bee.
  • They held a spelling bee at the school.

Advanced Usage

• "To have a bee in one's bonnet": To be obsessed with or preoccupied by a particular idea.
  • He has a bee in his bonnet about recycling and talks about it constantly.
• "The bee's knees" (informal, dated): An excellent or outstanding person or thing.
  • She thinks her new car is the bee's knees.

Variants and Related Words

• Beehive (n): A structure where bees live, especially a man-made one for keeping honey bees.
  • The beekeeper checked the beehive for honey.
• Beekeeper (n): A person who keeps bees, especially for their honey.
  • The beekeeper wore protective clothing.
• Bee pollen (n): Pollen collected by bees, often used as a dietary supplement.
• Bee sting (n): The injury caused by a bee's sting.
  • She put ice on the bee sting to reduce the swelling.

Synonyms

• Insect: Hymenopteran (scientific term for the order including bees, wasps, and ants).
• Gathering: Meeting, assembly, get-together.

Related Phrases

• Busy as a bee: Extremely busy or industrious.
  • She's been as busy as a bee preparing for the party.
• To put the bee on someone (informal, chiefly US): To ask someone for money, especially as a loan or donation.
  • He put the bee on me for twenty dollars.

Noun

1. a social gathering to carry out some communal task or to hold competitions
2. any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species