bumble-bee

A bumble-bee collects pollen from a bright yellow sunflower.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large, hairy bee: "bumble-bee" refers to any of various large, robust, hairy bees of the genus Bombus, typically black with yellow or white stripes, known for their loud buzzing flight and social behavior.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • A bumble-bee buzzed loudly around the garden flowers. (A large, hairy bee was flying near the blossoms.)
  • Unlike honeybees, a bumble-bee can fly in cooler temperatures. (The robust bee is adapted to colder weather.)

Advanced Usage

• "to work like a bumble-bee": to work very hard and busily, often in a noisy or energetic manner.

  • She worked like a bumble-bee all morning, cleaning the house. (She was very industrious and active.)

• "the bumble-bee effect": a metaphorical reference to the idea that something is theoretically impossible yet works in practice, based on the mistaken belief that bumble-bees' flight defies physics.

  • The startup's success was a bumble-bee effect — everyone said it couldn't be done. (It succeeded against conventional wisdom.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bumble-bee (n): alternative spelling with a hyphen; also written as bumblebee (one word) or bumble bee (two words).

  • The bumblebee landed on a clover. (Same meaning, different orthography.)

• Bumbling (adj): acting or moving in a clumsy, faltering, or noisy manner, like a bumble-bee.

  • He made a bumbling apology. (He spoke awkwardly and clumsily.)

Synonyms

• Humblebee: an older or dialectal name for the bumble-bee.
• Bombus: the scientific genus name for bumble-bees.

Related Idioms

• "as busy as a bumble-bee": extremely active and occupied with work.

  • She's as busy as a bumble-bee preparing for the conference. (She is very industrious.)

• "the bumble-bee doesn't know it can't fly": used to encourage someone to attempt something despite perceived limitations.

  • Don't give up — the bumble-bee doesn't know it can't fly. (Believe in your ability to do the impossible.)