bee-eater

/ˈbiː iːtəɹ/

noun

Any of various brightly-coloured, insectivorous, near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, especially the European bee-eater, Merops apiaster.

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Meanings

nounbee-eater (plural bee-eaters)

plural bee-eaters

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

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
european bee-eater

Origin

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

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek μέροψ
  • μέροψ (mérops)bird in the family Meropidae
Arabic وَرْوَار
  • وَرْوَار (warwār)bird in the family Meropidae
Catalan abellerol
  • abellerolbird in the family Meropidae
Chinese Mandarin 食蜂鳥 /食蜂鸟, 蜂虎科
  • 食蜂鳥 /食蜂鸟 (shífēngniǎo)bird in the family Meropidae
  • 蜂虎科 (fēnghǔ-kē)bird in the family Meropidae
Czech vlha
  • vlhabird in the family Meropidae
Danish biæder
  • biæderbird in the family Meropidae
Dutch bijeneter
  • bijeneterbird in the family Meropidae
Esperanto abelmanĝulo, meropo
  • abelmanĝulobird in the family Meropidae
  • meropobird in the family Meropidae
Finnish mehiläissyöjä
  • mehiläissyöjäbird in the family Meropidae
French guêpier
  • guêpierbird in the family Meropidae
German Bienenfresser
  • Bienenfresserbird in the family Meropidae
Greek μελισσοφάγος
  • μελισσοφάγος (melissofágos)bird in the family Meropidae
Hungarian gyurgyalag, piripió
  • gyurgyalagbird in the family Meropidae
  • piripióbird in the family Meropidae
  • méhészmadárbird in the family Meropidae
Icelandic býsvelgur
  • býsvelgurbird in the family Meropidae
Irish beachadóir
  • beachadóirbird in the family Meropidae
Italian gruccione, vespiere
  • gruccionebird in the family Meropidae
  • vespierebird in the family Meropidae
Japanese ハチクイ, ハチクイ科
  • ハチクイ (hachikui)bird in the family Meropidae
  • ハチクイ科 (hachikui-ka)bird in the family Meropidae
Korean 벌잡이새
  • 벌잡이새 (beoljabisae)bird in the family Meropidae
Latin merops
  • meropsbird in the family Meropidae
Polish żołna
  • żołnabird in the family Meropidae
Portuguese abelharuco, mejengra
  • abelharucobird in the family Meropidae
  • mejengrabird in the family Meropidae
  • abelheirobird in the family Meropidae
Romanian viespar, albinărel
  • viesparbird in the family Meropidae
  • albinărelbird in the family Meropidae
  • prigoarebird in the family Meropidae
  • prigoriebird in the family Meropidae
Russian щу́рка
  • щу́рка (ščúrka)bird in the family Meropidae
Scottish Gaelic beachadair
  • beachadairbird in the family Meropidae
Spanish abejaruco
  • abejarucobird in the family Meropidae
Swedish biätare
  • biätarebird in the family Meropidae
Tagalog manunubing, parikparik
  • manunubingbird in the family Meropidae
  • parikparikbird in the family Meropidae
Turkish arı kuşu
  • arı kuşubird in the family Meropidae
Vietnamese trảu
  • trảubird in the family Meropidae
Welsh gwenynysor
  • gwenynysorbird in the family Meropidae
Cite this entry
APA

bee-eater. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bee-eater

MLA

“bee-eater.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bee-eater. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bee-eater,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bee-eater.

Source: bee-eater on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.