noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   Any of various brightly-coloured, insectivorous, near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, especially the European bee-eater, Merops apiaster.
2. 2
   Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bee, eater.

Synonyms

All synonyms

european bee-eater

Etymology

From the diet of these birds, which consists of flying insects, especially bees and wasps.

Related phrases

bay-headed bee-eaterchestnut-headed bee-eaterrufous-crowned bee-eater

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.