1 apiaries | Definition of apiaries

apiary

noun
apiĀ·​ary | \ ˈā-pē-ˌer-ē How to pronounce apiary (audio) , -ˌe-rē\
plural apiaries

Definition of apiary

: a place where bees are kept especially : a collection of hives or colonies of bees kept for their honey

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Did You Know?

Beekeeping, or apiculture, is the care of honeybees that ensures that they produce more honey than they can use. An apiary usually consists of many separate beehives. The social life of a hive is strange and marvelous. The queen bee, who will become the mother of an entire colony, is actually created by being fed "royal jelly" while she is still only a larva. The tens of thousands of worker bees are underdeveloped females; only a handful of the bees are male, and they do no work at all. The workers defend the hive by kamikaze means, stinging any intruder and dying as they do so. There's more drama in a quiet-looking apiary than the casual observer might notice.

Examples of apiary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Guests donned protective bee suits and joined Program Leader Marna Coleman on a trip to the center’s apiary located several hundred feet behind the nature center. Denys Bucksten, chicagotribune.com, "Residents see firsthand Heller Nature Center’s bees at work as honey harvest approaches," 26 June 2019 Then all the skaters freaked out and skated into our apiary, which scared the bees, so the bees swarmed into one of the Volkswagen camper vans. Alex Baia, The New Yorker, "Our Coffee Shop Is Now Also a Chocolate Boutique, a B.D.S.M. Dungeon, and a Tiger Sanctuary," 17 Aug. 2019 In April 2016, a few weeks shy of blueberry pollination season, thieves struck one of the largest family apiaries in the Canadian province of QuĆ©bec. Lucas Foglia, National Geographic, "Beekeepers hit hard by thefts of hives," 3 May 2019 Horace Bell, 73, has maintained an apiary on a property near Deland, Fla. for years. Fox News, "Florida beekeeper says someone may have poisoned millions of his honey bees," 31 July 2019 The vineyard offers a number of dining packages with vineyard tours, including a half-day event of breakfast, lunch and a look at the apiary. Amy Nelson, Twin Cities, "Head to Healdsburg: Sonoma County city offers creative mix of art, history, wine," 10 July 2019 The nonprofit works to help apiaries troubleshoot such problems, while also collecting data that can lead to solutions. Scott Dance, Washington Post, "University of Maryland-led survey finds honeybee losses highest in 13 years this winter," 20 June 2019 The nonprofit works to help apiaries troubleshoot such problems, while also collecting data that can lead to solutions. Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Honey bee losses highest in 13 years this winter, University of Maryland-led survey finds," 19 June 2019 Seeley employs that approach here; even non-keepers will appreciate his bee’s-eye view of life outside managed apiaries. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, "The Best Science Books to Read For Summer 2019," 7 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'apiary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of apiary

1654, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for apiary

Latin apiarium, from apis bee

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More from Merriam-Webster on apiary

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with apiary

Spanish Central: Translation of apiary

Nglish: Translation of apiary for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of apiary for Arabic Speakers