bee

English

/ˈbiː/

noun
Definitions
  • 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.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English bee inherited from Old English bēo (I am, I become, I will be, bee) inherited from Proto-Germanic *bijō derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰi-.

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*bʰi-

Gloss

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms