noun
Uncommon
hive
hyv
Hive (noun) means a structure, natural or man-made, where a colony of bees lives. Example: “The beekeeper checked each hive for signs of disease.”
noun
1
A structure, natural or man-made, where a colony of bees lives.
"The beekeeper checked each hive for signs of disease."
"A wild hive had formed inside the old oak tree."
2
A place full of busy activity, likened to a beehive.
"The trading floor was a hive of activity before the market opened."
3
A section or branch of the Windows registry.
"The technician backed up the registry hive before making changes."
verb
1
To gather bees into a hive, or to live together in a tightly packed group.
"The swarm hived in a hollow log behind the barn."
How to use hive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA beehive, or by extension any place buzzing with busy activity — also a technical term for a registry section in Windows.
Common pairings
a hive of activity
bee hive
registry hive
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Word forms
- Plural
- hives
- Third person singular
- hives
- Past tense
- hived
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The beekeeper checked each _____ for signs of disease.
Etymology
From Old English hyf, going back to a very old root meaning a curved or hollowed-out vessel — related to words like "cup" and "coupe". The computing sense (a section of the registry) was chosen later purely as a bee-themed pun.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for hive
See all rhymes for hive →Frequently asked questions
What does “hive” mean?
The word “hive” means a structure, natural or man-made, where a colony of bees lives. In plain terms, a beehive, or by extension any place buzzing with busy activity — also a technical term for a registry section in Windows.
How do you pronounce “hive”?
“Hive” is pronounced hyv (/haɪv/ in IPA).
How do you use “hive” in a sentence?
Here is “hive” used in a sentence: “The beekeeper checked each hive for signs of disease.”
What part of speech is “hive”?
Depending on how it is used, “hive” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “hive” come from?
The word “hive” comes from Old English.
Is “hive” a common word?
“Hive” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “hive” have?
“Hive” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a structure, natural or man-made, where a colony of bees lives.
