propolis
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prop·o·lis
(prŏp′ə-lĭs)n.
A resinous substance collected from the buds of certain trees by bees and used as a cement or sealant in the construction of their hives.
[Latin, from Greek, suburb, bee glue (from the fact that it was originally the name of a structure around the opening into the hive) : pro-, before; see pro-2 + polis, city; see pelə- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
propolis
(ˈprɒpəlɪs)n
(Zoology) a greenish-brown resinous aromatic substance collected by bees from the buds of trees for use in the construction of hives. Also called: bee glue or hive dross
[C17: via Latin from Greek: suburb, bee glue, from pro- before + polis city]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
prop•o•lis
(ˈprɒp ə lɪs)n.
a reddish resinous cement collected by bees from the buds of trees, used to stop up crevices in the hives, strengthen the cells, etc.
[1400–50; late Middle English propoleos < Medieval Latin, for Latin propolis < Greek própolis bee glue, literally, outskirts of a city (see pro-2, -polis), appar. orig. the name for a structure around the entrance to a hive, hence applied to the glue from which it was made]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.