Definition of humble-bee in English:
humble-bee
noun ˈhʌmb(ə)lbiːˈhəmb(ə)lbi
another term for bumblebee
Example sentencesExamples
- In a famous passage of the Origin of Species he described how red clover plants depended upon humble-bees for pollination.
- Among the humble-bees, for instance, the workers do not dream of renouncing love, whereas our domestic bee lives in a state of perpetual chastity.
- He knew, too, that humble-bees have stings though people often say they have not, and the reason people think they do not possess them is because humble-bees are so good-natured and never sting unless they are very much provoked.
- Some hive-bees seem to use the holes made by the humble-bees.
- No bird seems to resist their attacks, but they are sometimes chased by the larger kinds of humble-bees.
Origin
Late Middle English: probably from Middle Low German hummelbē, from hummel 'to buzz' + bē 'bee'.
Definition of humble-bee in US English:
humble-bee
nounˈhəmb(ə)lbēˈhəmb(ə)lbi
another term for bumblebee
Example sentencesExamples
- No bird seems to resist their attacks, but they are sometimes chased by the larger kinds of humble-bees.
- Some hive-bees seem to use the holes made by the humble-bees.
- In a famous passage of the Origin of Species he described how red clover plants depended upon humble-bees for pollination.
- He knew, too, that humble-bees have stings though people often say they have not, and the reason people think they do not possess them is because humble-bees are so good-natured and never sting unless they are very much provoked.
- Among the humble-bees, for instance, the workers do not dream of renouncing love, whereas our domestic bee lives in a state of perpetual chastity.
Origin
Late Middle English: probably from Middle Low German hummelbē, from hummel ‘to buzz’ + bē ‘bee’.