honeybee

American

[huhn-ee-bee] / ˈhʌn iˌbi /

Or honey bee

noun

any bee that collects and stores honey, especially Apis mellifera.

honeybee British

/ ˈhʌnɪˌbiː /

noun

Also called: hive bee. any of various social honey-producing bees of the genus Apis, esp A. mellifera, which has been widely domesticated as a source of honey and beeswax

"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

Etymology

Origin of honeybee

First recorded in 1560–70; honey + bee ¹

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.

The tree shrew had the highest intake at 1.4 g/kg/day, while the honeybee had the lowest at 0.05 g/kg/day.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

My wife and daughter are going to get a smoothie called the honeybee, which is very sweet and delicious.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

Scientists have developed a honeybee "superfood" that could protect the animals against the threats of climate change and habitat loss.

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2025

Much of the movement to "save the bees" in the U.S. has been focused on a single species: Apis mellifera, the European honeybee.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2025

She waved a honeybee away from her face.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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