bumblebee

noun

bum·​ble·​bee ˈbəm-bəl-ˌbē How to pronounce bumblebee (audio)
variants or less commonly bumble bee
: any of numerous large robust hairy social bees (genus Bombus)

Examples of bumblebee in a Sentence

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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.
There’s a dumb ending, involving the Bewitched theme and Dennis Rodman discussing the perils of adult illiteracy (sure), but everything before that is pretty fun, including the Bumblebee Man turning into a bumblebee and Lisa into Albert Einstein. — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026 Fertilized queen bumblebees burrow just a few inches into the soil or hide under dense leaf mulch to survive the freezing months ahead, to lay eggs in the following spring. — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026 Mix in drought-tolerant native plants—such as nodding onions—with flowers that add color to your gravel garden while providing valuable nectar for pollinators like bumblebees. — Teresa Woodard, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2026 State wildlife officials have raised concerns about the potential impact of the quarry on bumblebees, desert bighorn sheep, golden eagles and other creatures. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bumblebee

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bumblebee was in 1530

Rhymes for bumblebee

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Browse Nearby Words

bumble
bumblebee
bumblebee buzzer
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Cite this Entry

“Bumblebee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumblebee. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bumblebee

noun
bum·​ble·​bee ˈbəm-bəl-ˌbē How to pronounce bumblebee (audio)
: any of numerous large hairy social bees

More from Merriam-Webster on bumblebee

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bumblebee

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