bee-eater

[ bee-ee-ter ]

noun
  1. any of several colorful birds of the family Meropidae, of the Old World tropics, that feed on bees and other insects.

Origin of bee-eater

1
First recorded in 1660–70

Words Nearby bee-eater

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bee-eater in a sentence

  • Of all feathered fowl, however, none are more brilliant in colour than the bee-eater and the golden oriol.

    The Cradle of Mankind | W.A. Wigram
  • The latter in its endeavour to escape soars into the air, and the bee-eater seizing it becomes the prey of the aërial fisherman.

  • On p. 357 is note and figure of the extinct Moho apicalis, under the name of the "Yellow-tufted bee-eater."

    Extinct Birds | Walter Rothschild
  • The blue-tailed bee-eater is distinguishable by its larger size, its yellowish throat, and its blue tail.

    Glimpses of Indian Birds | Douglas Dewar
  • Watch a bee-eater feeding and you will see it take twenty or thirty insects in less than an hour.

    Glimpses of Indian Birds | Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for bee-eater

bee-eater

noun
  1. any insectivorous bird of the family Meropidae of tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, having a long downward-curving bill and long pointed wings and tail: order Coraciiformes (kingfishers, etc)

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