bee

A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for collecting pollen and (in some species) producing wax and honey.

His face was belymmed as byes had him stounge[…].

An angry Wasp th'one in a viall had, / Th'other in hers an hony-laden Bee.

Any stinging flying insect, especially a wasp.

A contest, especially for spelling; see spelling bee.

geography bee

A community gathering to share labour, e.g. a sewing bee or a quilting bee.

The cellar […] was dug by a bee in a single day.

There was but little variation in types of buildings in the pioneer period: house, church, store, barn and mill were usually much alike except in size, and a raising bee was the ordinary means of their erection.

A ring or torque; a bracelet.

And kyng Arthur gaf her a ryche bee of gold and soo she departed

...restoring unto the world much gold richly adorning his Sword, two hundred Rubies, many hundred Imperial Coynes, three hundred golden Bees, the bones and horseshoe of his horse enterred with him...