bumblebee

IPA/ˈbʌmblbiː/
KK[bˈʌmbəlbˌi]IPA/ˈbʌmblbiː/

bumblebee — noun

  • bumblebeesingular
  • bumblebeesplural

1. a large, furry bee that makes a deep buzzing sound while flying from flower to f

1.nounB2
Definition

a large, furry bee that makes a deep buzzing sound while flying from flower to flower

Example

Mayumi watched a bumblebee disappear into the purple flowers by the gate.

bumblebee among flowers

All morning, a bumblebee kept tapping against the warm kitchen window.

bumblebee at a window

Common collocations
  • bumblebee nest
  • bumblebee buzz
  • watch a bumblebee
  • bumblebee on a flower
Synonyms
  • bee

    the broad everyday group term, not a specific type

  • honeybee

    a smaller bee commonly kept in hives for honey

  • pollinator

    a functional label for an insect that carries pollen, not the species name

Usage Note

Usually refers to the round, loud-flying wild bee seen in gardens and fields, not the smaller honeybee that people keep for honey.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Bumblebee is the specific word for the large, furry bee that makes a low buzzing sound around flowers. Bee is the broad everyday term and can refer to many kinds, including bumblebees and honeybees. Honeybee is narrower than bumblebee and usually suggests the smaller bee people keep in hives for honey. Wasp is different because it names a smoother, less hairy insect with a narrower body. Hornet is a large kind of wasp, not a bee, so it often sounds more aggressive and less flower-focused. If a child is pointing at a round, fuzzy insect on clover, bumblebee is the best word; if the speaker only knows it is some kind of bee, bee is safer.

bee ↗honeybee ↗wasp ↗hornet ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bumblebee nest
  • bumblebee colony
  • bumblebee buzz

Verbs

  • watch a bumblebee
  • hear a bumblebee
  • spot a bumblebee

Phrases

  • watch a bumblebee
  • hear a bumblebee

Prepositions

  • bumblebee in the garden
  • bumblebee on a flower

Etymology

English

Bumblebee is a transparent English compound. The second part is bee. The first part, bumble, is an old sound-based English word used for humming, droning, or clumsy movement. Together they gave English a name for the heavy, noisy bee that seems to bumble through the air.

First known use

1530

1530, in the meaning defined above