Queen bee
Meaning
The most important and dominant woman in a group, often one who controls others or attracts the most attention.
Origin
The term "queen bee" directly refers to the single fertile female in a honey bee colony, whose sole purpose is to lay eggs and populate the hive, making her essential and central to its survival. Her literal status as the progenitor and ruler of the colony, commanding the attention and service of thousands of worker bees, provided a vivid template for human society. By the early 20th century, this biological reality was readily adopted as a metaphor to describe a dominant, often authoritative woman at the center of a social group, much like her insect counterpart reigns over her hive.
Examples
- The new CEO quickly established herself as the queen bee, making all the major decisions and delegating tasks to her team.
- In high school, she was the undisputed queen bee, always surrounded by her loyal followers and setting the trends.