- any insectivorous bird of the family Meropidae of tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, having a long downward-curving bill and long pointed wings and tail: order Coraciiformes (kingfishers, etc)
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
bee-eat•er
(bē′ē′tər),USA pronunciation n.
- Birdsany of several colorful birds of the family Meropidae, of the Old World tropics, that feed on bees and other insects.
- 1660–70
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
bee-eater n
'bee-eater' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):