any hymenopterous insect of the superfamily Apoidea, including social and solitary species of several families, as the bumblebees, honeybees, etc.

the common honeybee, Apis mellifera.

a community social gathering in order to perform some task, engage in a contest, etc.

a sewing bee; a spelling bee; a husking bee.

have a bee in one's bonnet

to be obsessed with one idea.

to have eccentric or fanciful ideas or schemes

Our aunt obviously has a bee in her bonnet, but we're very fond of her.

put the bee on, Informal . to try to obtain money from

as for a loan or donation

My brother just put the bee on me for another

the bee's knees, Older Slang . (esp. in the 1920s) a person or thing that is wonderful, great

or marvelous

Her new roadster is simply the bee's knees.

noun

bumblebee , drone , honey bee , killer bee , queen bee , communal gathering , harvest , party , social , work party , boutade , caprice , conceit , freak , humor , impulse , megrim , notion , vagary , whim , whimsy