queen bee

English

Etymology

From queen +‎ bee. Compare Middle English kyng of been (“queen bee”, literally “king of bees”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

queen bee (plural queen bees)

  1. A reproductive female (especially the only one) in a colony of bees.
    Synonym: (very rare) beemother
    • 1947, AI Root, The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture, Kessinger, published 2005, page 205:
      It is generally believed that the queen bee mates only once in her lifetime.
  2. (idiomatic, colloquial, derogatory) The most important or dominant woman in an organization or situation.
    • 1981 February 14, Peg Cruikshank, “The Warmth Shines Through”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 29, page 15:
      She wrote very generously to aspiring women writers, gave them good advice, took time to read their manuscripts and comments, and warmly applauded their successes. There is not a hint of the Queen Bee in the attitude toward other women writers.
    • 2003, Jim Hatfield, Extra Marital Temptations, iUniverse, page 28:
      She muttered to her mother, “There's that obnoxious redhead who thought she was the Queen Bee last year when she was a senior!”
  3. (Can we verify(+) this sense?) (figurative) A stem cell.

Derived terms

Translations

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