A structure that houses a colony of bees, either natural or artificial. Also refers to a tall, rounded women's hairstyle popular in the 1960s.
From Old English 'bēo' (bee) + 'hȳf' (hive). The term has been used since around 900 CE to describe bee dwellings. The hairstyle sense emerged in the 1960s due to its resemblance to the shape of traditional straw beehives.
The beehive hairstyle was so iconic that it became a symbol of the 1960s, worn by celebrities like Brigitte Bardot and Dusty Springfield. Interestingly, real beehives are marvels of engineering - bees build hexagonal cells because this shape uses the least amount of wax while providing maximum storage space, a principle that fascinated mathematicians for centuries.
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