beehive

noun

bee·​hive ˈbē-ˌhīv How to pronounce beehive (audio)
plural beehives
1
: hive sense 1
In the spring, two young grizzly bears, just out of a winter's sleep, … knocked over a half-dozen commercial beehives and fed on the honey and larvae within.Jim Robbins
2
: something resembling a hive for bees: such as
a
: a scene of crowded activity
… a beehive of growling trucks, riverboats laden with supplies, helicopters and airplanes buzzing overhead …National Geographic
b
: a woman's hairstyle that is conical in shape
She is about sixty-five with hair white as spun sugar, piled up in a beehive hairdo that has been out of style for twenty years.W. P. Kinsella
beehive adjective

Examples of beehive in a Sentence

The office was a beehive of activity. wearing her hair in a beehive
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Officials, including Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, have accused Powell of presiding over a lavish overhaul of the central bank’s headquarters to include Italian beehives, water features and executive elevators whisking Fed policymakers to an executive dining room. Lucy Bayly, CNN Money, 21 July 2025 And this is the focus of everything served at the hotel which has an impressive kitchen garden and beehives. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 For biodiversity support, the gardens include wildflowers, living walls and roofs, bird boxes, and active beehives. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2025 That’s why what is needed is statewide legislation that includes a conflict reduction community grant program that provides money to communities for bear resistant trash cans and electric fencing around chickens and beehives. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for beehive

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beehive was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beehive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beehive. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

beehive

1 of 2 noun
bee·​hive
ˈbē-ˌhīv
1
2
: hive entry 1 sense 2
a beehive of activity

beehive

2 of 2 adjective
: resembling a dome-shaped beehive

More from Merriam-Webster on beehive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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