Meanings
Origin
Origin uncertain; apparently an alteration of bumblebee. According to Wilfrid Granville (A Dictionary of Sailors’ Slang, 1962), “they were modelled on the oyster-fishing boats of the Mumbles district near Swansea”.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
mumble-bee. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mumble-bee
MLA
“mumble-bee.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mumble-bee. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mumble-bee,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mumble-bee.
Source: mumble-bee on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.