bee

bee
bee stinging insect, O.E. beo "bee," from P.Gmc. *bion (Cf. O.N. by, O.H.G. bia, M.Du. bie), possibly from PIE root *bhi- "quiver." Used metaphorically for "busy worker" since 1530s. Sense of "meeting of neighbors to unite their labor for the benefit of one of their number," 1769, Amer.Eng., probably is from comparison to the social activity of the insect; this was extended to other senses (e.g. spelling bee, first attested 1809; also hanging bee "a lynching"). To have a bee in (one's) bonnet (1825), said of one who is harebrained or has an intense new notion or fancy, is said in Jamieson to be Scottish, perhaps from earlier expressions such as head full of bees (1510s), denoting mad mental activity.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Bee — (b[=e]), n. [AS. be[ o]; akin to D. bij and bije, Icel. b[=y], Sw. & Dan. bi, OHG. pini, G. biene, and perh. Ir. beach, Lith. bitis, Skr. bha. [root]97.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) An insect of the order {Hymenoptera}, and family {Apid[ae]} (the honeybees),… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bée — [ be ] adj. f. et n. f. • XIIe ; de béer 1 ♦ Adj. f. BOUCHE BÉE : la bouche ouverte d admiration, d étonnement, de stupeur. ⇒ béant. J en suis bouche bée. ⇒ 1. baba. « Je restais là, bras ballants et bouche bée » (France). Loc. Être bouche bée… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • bee — [bi:] n [: Old English; Origin: beo] 1.) a black and yellow flying insect that makes ↑honey and can sting you ▪ a swarm of bees ▪ a bee sting 2.) have a bee in your bonnet (about sth) informal to think something is so important, so necessary etc… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • bée — 1. (bée) adj. f. Tonneaux, futailles à gueule bée, tonneaux, futailles défoncées d un côté. ÉTYMOLOGIE    Participe passé du verbe béer ou bayer (voy. bayer). SUPPLÉMENT AU DICTIONNAIRE 1. BÉE. Ajoutez : Voy. gueule, n° 4. bée 2. (bée) s. f …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • bee — ► NOUN 1) a stinging winged insect which collects nectar and pollen from flowers and produces wax and honey. 2) a meeting for communal work or amusement: a sewing bee. ● the bee s knees Cf. ↑the bee s knees ● have a bee in one s bonnet Cf. ↑ …   English terms dictionary

  • Bee — Bèe …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • bee — [n1] honey making, stinging insect bumblebee, drone, honey bee, killer bee, queen bee; concept 398 bee [n2] collective task communal gathering, harvest, party, social, work party; concept 362 …   New thesaurus

  • bee — bee1 [bē] n. [ME < OE beo < IE base * bhei > Ger biene, OPrus bitte, OIr bech] any of a large superfamily (Apoidea) of broad bodied, four winged, hairy hymenopteran insects that gather pollen and nectar, have biting as well as sucking… …   English World dictionary

  • Bee W — (Сан Пауло,Бразилия) Категория отеля: Адрес: Rua Haddock Lobo, 167, Консоласау, Сан Пауло, CE …   Каталог отелей

  • BEE — (Heb. דְּבוֹרָה). Beekeeping was practiced early in the Mediterranean region. However, there is no reference to it in the Bible where the bee is mentioned only four times and only once in connection with honey (Judg. 14:9). References to bees… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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