Honeybee
/ˈhʌniˌbiː/noun
A bee that produces honey and wax.
Did you know?In Old English, the bee was called by a compound of its own identity and its most prized product, showing how long humans have treated honey as a kind of natural gold.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
English
huniġbēo
“A honey-producing bee.”
Middle English
English
hony bee
“A bee associated with honey.”
Modern English
English
honeybee
“A bee that produces honey and wax.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hunangą
“Honey.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bīną
“Bee.”