hive

hive · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A structure in which bees live and store honey, either natural or man-made.

  2. 2.

    A place full of busy activity; a crowded, bustling environment.

  3. 3.

    (Medicine, usually plural: hives) An allergic skin condition causing itchy raised welts; urticaria.

Forms

plural: hives

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    a hive of activity — a very busy place
  • •
    hive mind — collective consciousness or group thinking
  • •
    hive off — to separate or split off from a larger group

Related words

See also: bee, honey, swarm
Synonyms: apiary, beehive

Etymology

From Old English hyf ("beehive"), from Proto-Germanic hufiz. Related to Old Norse hufr ("hull of a ship").