mining bee
- noun
- /ˈmaɪnɪŋ bi/
:
abeja minera
- Look at that mining bee gathering pollen!
Examples
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The mining bee is important for pollinating early-flowering plants and crops.
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Every spring, mining bee colonies can be seen emerging from their underground nests in the garden.
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Some people mistake a mining bee for a honeybee, but they are solitary and less aggressive.
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I spotted a mining bee in my garden yesterday.
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In the spring, I often find mining bees buzzing around my garden, searching for flowers.
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The mining bee is known for its unique nesting behavior, creating small holes in the ground.
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During warm afternoons, several mining bees can be seen flying between the blossoms in the field.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A solitary bee that digs holes in the ground and visits flowers
A solitary bee that nests in the ground and is active in early spring
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositional: 'mining' (the act of digging/extracting from the ground) modifies 'bee', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a bee that digs or nests in the ground. The verb‑ing + noun modifier pattern is a common, transparent English formation and directly signals an agent/characteristic, making the meaning predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Mining bee gets its name from the way these bees dig small tunnels in the ground like tiny miners, so the words mining and bee give a clear picture. So it means a bee that nests 'in the ground' and is often seen in spring.