NYT Dictionary

HIVE

/haɪv/
NounVerbHEYEVGrade 2

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025

Meaning

A structure, whether artificial or natural, for housing a swarm of honeybees.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English hyve, from Old English hȳf, from Proto-West Germanic *hūfi, from Proto-Indo-European *kuHp- (“water vessel”), from *kew- (“to bend, curve”). See also Dutch huif (“beehive”), Danish dialect huv (“ship’s hull”); also Latin cūpa (“tub, vat”), Ancient Greek κύπη (kúpē, “gap, hole”), κύπελλον (kúpellon, “beaker”), Sanskrit कूप (kū́pa, “cave”). Doublet of coupe, cup, and keeve. The computing term was chosen as an in-joke relating to bees; see this for more.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

beehiveaccumulateamassanchorarmyassemblebevybilletbivouacbunch

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 2 recorded puzzles:

Join the Spelling Bee Community

Get solving strategies, rare word lists, and puzzle tips in your inbox every week.