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bee

bee

111 6.3
A gathering where people meet to work together on a task or compete
  • noun
  • /biː/
  • US
translation icon : concurso (p. ej., spelling bee)
  • "You should have won the spelling bee, Tanisha," she read.
  • a spelling bee
  • a national bee

Singing like spelling bees, like mostly singing and art.

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Examples

  • The students are excited for the annual spelling bee at their school, where they will showcase their vocabulary skills.

  • - We're having a spelling bee.

  • All over America, children seem to be influenced, like at this spelling bee in Washington.

  • I say to him, I want you to be in the math bee and the spelling bee.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • You're talking to the two time spelling bee champion of the district.

  • All right, Taylor, our spelling bee champion at Bussen.

  • Don't you want to prepare for the spelling bee?

  • Most have programs for children, including essay contests, spelling bees, dance classes, language classes, and summer camps.

    Academic text (2005)
  • During the community bee, neighbors came together to plant trees and clean up the park.

  • At the quilting bee, everyone brought their fabric and joined in to create beautiful quilts for charity.

Synonyms

spelling bee
vsbee
37 2.9

A contest where people say the letters of words and are out if they make a mistake

is broader, also used for friendly group tasks without elimination
quilting bee
vsbee
  • US
1 6.5

A meeting where people work together to sew warm blankets from small cloth pieces

is broader, also used for competitive events as well as communal work

Idioms

3 7.7

To say something that hurts someone suddenly and sharply

busy as a bee
  • Informal
1 3.4

Working very hard all the time

Compounds

37 2.9

A contest where people say the letters of words and are out if they make a mistake

12 1.0

A painful, swollen spot on the skin when a bee's sharp point goes into it

7 3.6

A female bee that cannot lay eggs and gathers food and cares for the hive

queen bee
  • Informal
5 5.8

A woman who is most influential in a social group

3 6.9

An aggressive bee from Brazil made by crossing African and European honeybees

busy bee
  • Informal
3 2.9

A person who always works hard and stays active

Africanized bee
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A type of honeybee made by mixing African and European bees that is very aggressive and spreads fast

1 3.4

A fertile female bee in a hive that lays all the eggs

1 8.2

A brightly colored bird that catches and eats bees and other insects in flight

1 6.5

A meeting where people work together to sew warm blankets from small cloth pieces

1 7.4

A garden herb with bright scented flowers that attract bees and butterflies

A large bee that lives alone and makes nests by drilling holes in wood

Africanized honey bee
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A honey bee bred from African and European bees that is very aggressive and spreads across the Americas

killer bee
  • Jargon
1 9.9

A banker who helps a company avoid being taken over by another firm

8.7

A hairy fly that looks like a bee and whose young eat baby bees

2.7

A shed that holds many beehives

A large fly that looks like a bee and catches other insects in the air to drink their juices

8.7

A small moth whose larvae eat wax and honeycomb in beehives

9.9

A European wild flower whose bloom looks like a bumblebee

9.8

A beetle in Europe that lives in beehives, damages honeycombs and disturbs bees

3.4

Looks, sounds, or moves like a bee

7.4

A dark honeybee from northern Europe that can be defensive around its hive

Carniolan bee
  • Specialized
7.0

A grey honeybee that makes a lot of honey and is gentle

8.9

A solitary bee from the western United States that pollinates alfalfa

A bee that cuts pieces from leaves to make its nest

A bee that cuts small pieces from leaves or flowers to build its nest

6.8

A bee that lives alone and builds nests from mud in holes

A solitary bee that nests in the ground and is seen in spring

German bee
  • Specialized
8.1

A dark, defensive honeybee bred in Germany for beekeeping

husking bee
  • Archaic
9.9

A community event where people gather to remove the outer leaves from corn and have fun

Italian bee
  • Specialized
5.4

A yellowish honeybee that is gentle and makes a lot of honey

A garden plant with pink or white flowers that attract bees

A bee that lives alone and builds mud nests on plants

Surface Forms

bee singular
bees plural

Etymology

Bee (as in 'spelling bee') comes from an old idea of a friendly 'help' or meeting where neighbours worked together. One helpful way to remember it is to think of a quilting bee where people join to work or compete, so bee now means a community event to work or take part together.