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bumblebee Definition

bumble·bee (bumbəl bē′)

noun

any of a number of related large, hairy, yellow-and-black social bees (esp. genus Bombus)

Etymology: altered (by assoc. with ME bomblen, var. of bomben, to boom, buzz, of echoic orig.) < ME humbul-be < humbil, bumblebee (akin to Ger hummel < IE base *kem-, to hum, of echoic orig.) + be, bee

bumblebee Usage Examples

Converse of subject

  • love: The pea family includes many wild flowers that are loved by bumblebees.

Converse of object

  • attract: Perhaps the best single plant to attract bumblebees to your garden.
  • see: On the 7 January I saw a bumblebee flying twelve weeks early!
  • save: Sniffer dog Quint helps to save the bumblebee Some sniffer dogs sniff out drugs.
  • help: However, there are things that can be done to help the bumblebee to continue its age-old task of pollination.
  • tail: V. bombylans var bombylans ( this one ) mimics the buff tailed bumblebee.

Adjective modifier

  • red-tailed: A large red-tailed bumblebee, which I take from its size to be a queen, is investigating the lawn.
  • white-tailed: Click to enlarge Queen white-tailed bumblebee close-up Close-up view of a queen white-tailed bumblebee ( Bombus lucorum ) in search of a nest site.
  • yellow: This year they were harassed by some yellow bumblebees; perhaps someone could tell us the species and the nature of the dispute?
  • British: Experiments have shown that some British garden bumblebees can return to a nest from distances over 6km.
  • early: In waste places, white dead nettle, violets and coltsfoot may be in flower, attracting early bumblebees and honey bees.
  • large: A large bumblebee, nesting below ground, where it is found in a variety of habitats.

Modifies a noun

  • nest: It has taken almost a year to train him to find bumblebee nests.
  • colony: It is active in spring, when bumblebee colonies have not yet built up the colonies to full size.
  • specie: Information on the number of bumblebee species in Britain varies at least two species have become extinct in recent years.
  • population: Bumblebee population declines have been documented for at least the last 15 years.
  • auction: A: Bumblebee Auctions has two methods of dispatch.
  • species: To read more about these bumblebee species, read Bumblebees by Christopher O'Toole.

Noun used with modifier

  • queen: Yes, only queen bumblebees survive the winter, the rest of t.. .
  • garden: Experiments have shown that some British garden bumblebees can return to a nest from distances over 6km.
bumblebee Quotes

The poker player learns that sometimes both science and common sense are wrong; that the bumblebee can fly; that, perhaps, one should never trust an expert; that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of by those with an academic bent.

—Mamet, David Alan

Browse dictionary entries near bumblebee

  1. bumble
  2. bumbershoot
  3. bumbailiff
  4. bum
  5. Bulwer-Lytton
  6. bulwark
  7. Bultmann
  8. bulrush
  9. bullyragging
  10. bullyragged
  1. bumbled
  2. bumbler
  3. bumbling
  4. bumboat
  5. bumf
  6. bummed
  7. bummer
  8. bummest
  9. bumming
  10. bump