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Synonyms

hives

American  
[hahyvz] / haɪvz /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

  1. any of various eruptive conditions of the skin, as the wheals of urticaria.

hives British  
/ haɪvz /

noun

  1. (functioning as singular or plural) pathol a nontechnical name for urticaria

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
hives Scientific  
/ hīvz /

  1. A skin condition characterized by transient, itching welts, usually resulting from an allergic reaction.

hives Cultural  

  1. A condition characterized by the sudden appearance of red, raised areas on the skin that itch severely. Hives may be caused by an allergic reaction (see allergy) to foods or other substances.

Etymology

Origin of hives

First recorded in 1490–1500; originally Scots; of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As commercial hives across the United States struggle to survive attacks from deadly parasites, a distinct hybrid bee found in this region is showing a surprising ability to endure.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

I jumped up and I had hives and bumps from the bites.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Before we stage-dive into the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ contributions to pop music’s feel-good pantheon, a confession: Pretty much every entry in their post-”Californication” discography gives me hives.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

By 1947 commercial beekeepers were moving their hives miles away; smog was killing the bees, or making them crazy so they couldn’t find their way back home.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Now, in response to another noise he made, sawing at his lips with his square-tipped fingers, all the twelve hives came alive.

From "Beowulf: A New Telling" by Robert Nye

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.