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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

bee

/bi/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:47
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What does bee mean?

noun

  1. 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.
  2. (informal) Any stinging flying insect, especially a wasp.
  3. A contest, especially for spelling; see spelling bee.
More meanings (11)

noun

  1. A community gathering to share labour, e.g. a sewing bee or a quilting bee.
  2. The name of the Latin script letter B/b.
  3. Any of the pieces of hard wood bolted to the sides of the bowsprit, to reeve the fore-topmast stays through.
  4. someone connected with Barnet Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc.
  5. Alternative letter-case form of bee.
  6. Initialism of Black Economic Empowerment.
  7. (obsolete) A ring or torque; a bracelet.

proper noun

  1. A diminutive of the female given name Beatrice.
  2. A surname.

verb

  1. (obsolete) Obsolete spelling of be.
  2. (obsolete) past participle of be; been

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/bi/

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

“You cannot see our Queen to-night,” said the little bee, “but I will show you to a bed where you can rest.”
Louisa May AlcottFlower FablesProject Gutenberg ebook #163
A hundred years before, Rutherford, in his "Free Disputation," had declared "toleration of alle religions to bee not farre removed from blasphemie."
John FiskeThe Unseen World, and Other EssaysProject Gutenberg ebook #1486
More book examples (3)
But the most numerous and interesting of the clay artificers are the workers of a species of social bee, the Melipona fasciculata.
Henry Walter BatesThe Naturalist on the River AmazonsProject Gutenberg ebook #2440
A poet admires the bee sucking from the chalice of a flower and says it exists to suck the fragrance of flowers.
Leo, graf TolstoyWar and PeaceTranslated by Aylmer Maude; Louise MaudeProject Gutenberg ebook #2600
I am trying to test the case practically by getting combs of different species, and of our own bee from different climates.
Charles DarwinMore Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 1 A Record of His Work in a Series of Hitherto Unpublished LettersProject Gutenberg ebook #2739