[ noun ] robust hairy social bee of temperate regions <noun.animal>
Humblebee \Hum"ble*bee`\, n. [OE. humbilbee, hombulbe; cf. D. hommel, G. hummel, OHG. humbal, Dan. humle, Sw. humla; perh. akin to hum. [root]15. Cf. {Bumblebee}.] (Zo["o]l.) The bumblebee. --Shak.
Bumblebee \Bum"ble*bee`\, n. [OE. bumblen to make a humming noise (dim. of bum, v. i.) + bee. Cf. {Humblebee}.] (Zo["o]l.) A large bee of the genus {Bombus}, sometimes called {humblebee}; -- so named from its sound.
Note: There are many species. All gather honey, and store it in the empty cocoons after the young have come out.