bee

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for collecting pollen and (in some species) producing wax and honey.

   His face was belymmed as byes had him stounge[…].

2. 2
   noun

   A contest, especially for spelling; see spelling bee.

   geography bee

3. 3
   noun

   A community gathering to share labour, e.g. a sewing bee or a quilting bee.

   The cellar […] was dug by a bee in a single day.

4. 4
   noun

   A ring or torque; a bracelet.

   And kyng Arthur gaf her a ryche bee of gold and soo she departed

5. 5
   verb

   Obsolete spelling of be.

   held that a ‘Nicholaitan is an heretike, like Nicholas, who held that wiues should bee common to all alike.’

6. 6
   verb

   past participle of be; been

   His Lady sad to see his sore constraint, / Cride out, Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee / Add faith vnto your force, and be not faint: / Strangle her, els she sure will strangle thee.

7. 7
   noun

   The name of the Latin script letter B/b.

   "The ee-vee-ee-ar-en-oh-ee-ell-blank-bee-ell-oh-ess-ess-oh-em-blank-en-ee-cee-tee-ay-ar is especially dee-ee-ell-eye-cee-eye-oh-you-ess." Our friends thanked the spelling bee for his help and then he buzzed off.

8. 8
   noun

   any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰey-der. Proto-Germanic *bijǭ Proto-West Germanic *bijā Old English bēo Middle English bee English bee From Middle English be, bee, beo, bey, from Old English bēo, bīo (“bee”), from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic *bijǭ (“bee”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”). Cognates Cognate with Yola been (“bees”), North Frisian bi (“bee”), West Frisian bij (“bee”), Dutch bij, by (“bee”), German Biene (“bee”), Limburgish Bé, bie (“bee”), Luxembourgish Bei (“bee”), Vilamovian byn (“bee”), West Flemish bieë (“bee”), Yiddish בין (bin, “bee”), Danish…