bumblebee
n.a small, round insect with yellow and black stripes that makes a buzzing sound while it flies. It carries pollen from flower to flower to help plants grow.
n.a small, hairy insect of the family Apidae, characterized by a distinctive buzzing flight and a role in pollination. Often used to refer to the honeybee in general, though it technically refers to a specific genus.
“The bumblebee lands on the flower to collect pollen.”
“Gardeners often plant wildflowers to attract bumblebees and other pollinators to their yards.”
“Unlike the more aggressive honeybee, the bumblebee is generally docile and plays a vital role in the pollination of crops that require a specific temperature to bloom.”
1520s from bumble + bee, replacing Middle English humbul-be. Merged with Middle English bombeln (“to boom, buzz”), in the late 14th century. The name of the drink is a semantic loan from Ukrainian джміль (džmilʹ).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.