Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A hive for bees.
  • noun A very busy place.
  • noun A woman's hairstyle in which the hair is arranged in a tall, rounded peak on top of the head.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A case or box serving as a habitation for bees. See hive.
  • noun The common name of a species of medic, Medicago scutellata, from the shape of its spirally coiled pod.
  • noun A covered cup or jug for holding honey, sugar, etc.
  • noun [capitalized] In astronomy, a name for Præsepe, the cluster of stars in Cancer.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A hive for a swarm of bees. Also used figuratively.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An enclosed structure in which some species of honey bees (genus Apis) live and raise their young.
  • noun A man-made structure in which bees are kept for their honey.
  • noun figuratively Any place full of activity, or in which people are very busy.
  • noun A women's hairstyle, popular in the 1960s, in which long hair is styled into a hive-shaped form on top of the head and usually held in place with lacquer.
  • noun A type of anti-personnel ammunition round containing flechettes, and characterised by the buzzing sound made as they fly through the air.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any workplace where people are very busy
  • noun a hairdo resembling a beehive
  • noun a structure that provides a natural habitation for bees; as in a hollow tree
  • noun a man-made receptacle that houses a swarm of bees

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From bee +‎ hive.

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Examples

  • The herbs and lettuces were harvested from the White House Kitchen Garden started by Michelle Obama, and honey from the White House beehive is being used to poach the dessert pears.

    Resplendent colors highlight setting for state dinner 2009

  • Good job Scott, the beehive is buzzing all over the place now.

    Bartlett rips McClellan, calls allegation 'total crap' 2008

  • What is the mathematical, fractal relationship between shapes found in beehive honeycombs, a pineapple, tesselating hexagons, and African-American hair braiding?

    Boing Boing: April 25, 2004 - May 1, 2004 Archives 2004

  • Up until a couple of overs ago, Johnson's TV 'beehive' - the graphic which shows the direction of his deliveries - resembled the firing range target of a meth drinker.

    BBC News - Home 2011

  • The world's first circular control tower, known as the beehive, was built.

    Weatherwatch: How cities change the climate 2011

  • CPC isn't exactly known as a beehive of activity, but it has a healthy framework.

    Digging on Health Care Reform Scola, Nancy 2009

  • Bob knew from his research that the beehive was a key Masonic symbol for industriousness.8 He surmised that the Florence coke ovens were KGC-Masonic in origin.

    Shadow of the Sentinel WARREN GETLER 2003

  • Like to a beehive was the house of Mary and Martha.

    Lazarus 1918

  • Like to a beehive was the house of Mary and Martha.

    Famous Modern Ghost Stories Leonid Nikolayevich Andreyev 1895

  • Being industrious and hardworking is highly prized in Mormon culture the beehive is a symbol of the church, and for devout women, cooking provides a real sense of identity and daily purpose.

    The Seattle Times 2012

Comments

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  • The Beehive—The New Zealand government.

    January 10, 2008

  • a figurative figure used in multiple, diverse senses - hairdo & activity

    February 21, 2011