hive

Everyday

1. A hive is a home for bees, either a box made by people or a natural nest. tree →
2. A hive can mean all the bees living in it. tree →
3. A hive of activity is a very busy place full of people working. tree →
4. (UK) To hive off part of something is to separate it to be run on its own. tree →
5. Hives (plural) is an itchy red rash on the skin, often from an allergy. tree →

In the lessons

In science, a hive has a queen, workers and drones; they make honey and wax in hexagon-shaped cells. In everyday life, the classroom before a party is «a hive of activity». In safety, don't knock a hive; bee stings hurt and some people are allergic. Phrases: beehive, a hive of activity, hive off, break out in hives.

Examples

• The beekeeper opened the hive to collect honey. tree →
• A hive can hold thousands of bees. tree →
• The kitchen was a hive of activity before the party. tree →
• The bees flew back to the hive at sunset. tree →
• She broke out in hives after eating nuts. tree →
• The cells inside a hive are hexagons, with 6 sides each. tree →
• The company hived off its toy business. (UK, formal) tree →
• Don't poke a hive — the bees will sting. tree →
• He went on farther and saw a hive of bees in the forest. tree →

Note

Countable noun. «Hives» the rash is a plural with no singular. A «beehive» is the same thing as a hive. Bees build hexagon cells; a hexagon has 6 sides. Myth: bees don't die after every sting — honeybees usually do, but bumblebees and wasps can sting again.