bumblebee

noun

bum·​ble·​bee ˈbəm-bəl-ˌbē How to pronounce bumblebee (audio)
variants or less commonly bumble bee
: any of numerous large robust hairy social bees (genus Bombus)

Examples of bumblebee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Share [Findings] An extinction-risk model was found to work well for bumblebees. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 The company also plans to support important pollinators like native bumblebees and monarch butterflies and protect species of special concern like the willow flycatcher. The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024 But this wacky bit of action fun is wildly entertaining and zips by with the good-natured buzz of a bumblebee. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024 Finally, the team rubbed flower pollen on bumblebees to create a natural electric charge and placed the bees near the worms. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 June 2023 And, with a variety of styles to choose, from a unicorn to a bumblebee, there’s probably one to match your kid’s personal style. Juliet Izon, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2023 Honeybees are known to take resources from and carry diseases that can infect native bees, such as the rusty patched or common eastern bumblebees, suppressing their populations. Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023 Butterflies and other pollinators flutter above the tall grass, and the bumblebees from her apiary hover among stalks of chamomile and milkweed. Alice Newell-Hanson, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023 Make sure to also click that little bumblebee icon next to my thing, by the way. Django Gold, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bumblebee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bumblebee was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near bumblebee

Cite this Entry

“Bumblebee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumblebee. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bumblebee

noun
bum·​ble·​bee ˈbəm-bəl-ˌbē How to pronounce bumblebee (audio)
: any of numerous large hairy social bees

More from Merriam-Webster on bumblebee

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