honey-bee

A honey-bee collects nectar from a purple flower.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A social bee (genus Apis) that produces honey: "honey-bee" refers to any bee of the genus Apis, especially the common domesticated species Apis mellifera, known for its production of honey and wax, and its complex social colony structure.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The honey-bee is essential for pollinating many crops. (The bee of the genus Apis is crucial for plant reproduction.)
  • Beekeepers often raise honey-bees in wooden hives to collect honey. (Domesticated bees are kept for honey production.)
  • A single honey-bee can visit thousands of flowers in one day. (The insect's foraging behaviour.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be as busy as a honey-bee": to be very industrious and hardworking.

  • She was as busy as a honey-bee in the garden all morning. (She worked tirelessly.)

• "honey-bee dance": a specific movement pattern performed by honey-bees to communicate the location of food sources to other colony members.

  • The honey-bee dance is a fascinating example of animal communication. (The waggle dance used by bees.)

Variants and Related Words

• Honeybee (n): a common alternative spelling without the hyphen, meaning the same insect.

  • The honeybee is a vital pollinator. (Same as honey-bee.)

• Honey (n): the sweet, sticky substance produced by honey-bees from flower nectar.

  • The honey from these honey-bees is particularly delicious. (The product of the bee.)

• Bee (n): a broader term for any insect in the superfamily Apoidea, including honey-bees, bumblebees, and solitary bees.

  • Not all bees are honey-bees; many are solitary. (General bee category.)

Synonyms

• Apis mellifera: the scientific name for the most common species of honey-bee.

  • Apis mellifera is the species kept by most beekeepers. (Formal scientific term.)

• Domestic bee: a honey-bee kept in managed hives.

  • Domestic bees are often less aggressive than wild honey-bees. (Managed versus wild.)

Related Idioms

• "to make a bee-line for something": to go directly and quickly towards something, like a honey-bee returning to its hive.

  • He made a bee-line for the buffet table. (He went straight to the food.)

• "the bee's knees": an idiom meaning something is excellent or of high quality.

  • This new honey is the bee's knees. (It is excellent.)