spelling-bee
Definition
- Noun:
- A contest in which participants are eliminated as they fail to spell a given word correctly: A "spelling bee" is a competition, typically for children or students, where contestants take turns spelling words aloud. The contestant who spells the most words correctly without being eliminated wins.
Usage Examples
- (A competition where she spelled words aloud correctly.)
- (A large-scale contest of spelling ability.)
Advanced Usage
"to win a spelling bee": to emerge victorious in such a contest.
- After months of practice, he finally won the regional spelling bee. (He succeeded in the competition by spelling words accurately.)
"to compete in a spelling bee": to participate in a spelling contest.
- Many students compete in a spelling bee to improve their vocabulary. (They take part in the competition to test their spelling skills.)
Variants and Related Words
- Spelling (n): the action or process of forming words by arranging letters in the correct order.
- Good spelling is essential for clear writing. (Correct letter arrangement is important.)
- Bee (n): a social gathering for a specific purpose, such as a work bee or quilting bee. In "spelling bee", "bee" refers to a gathering for a contest.
- The community held a quilting bee to make blankets for charity. (A social gathering for a specific task.)
Synonyms
- Spelling contest: a competition focused on spelling words correctly.
- Orthography competition: a formal term for a spelling contest.
Related Idioms
- To spell it out: to explain something in a clear and detailed way.
- The teacher had to spell it out for the students before the spelling bee. (She explained the rules clearly.)
- To be a spelling champion: to be an expert speller, often from winning spelling bees.
- She is a spelling champion after winning three consecutive bees. (She is a highly skilled speller.)