bumblebee
bumblebee
Definition
bumble·bee (bum′bəl 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
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.
Browse dictionary entries near bumblebee
- bumble
- bumbershoot
- bumbailiff
- bum
- Bulwer-Lytton
- bulwark
- Bultmann
- bulrush
- bullyragging
- bullyragged
