%bees%

{ } n. pl. [ OE. bestynge, AS. b&ymacr_;sting, fr. b&ymacr_;st, beost; akin to D. biest, OHG. biost, G. biest; of unknown origin. ] The first milk given by a cow after calving. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

The thick and curdy milk . . . commonly called biestings. Newton. (1574). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The wax secreted by bees, and of which their cells are constructed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The second crust formed in port and some other wines after long keeping. It consists of pure, shining scales of tartar, supposed to resemble the wing of a bee. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ D. hertebeest. See Hart, and Beast. ] 1. (Zool.) A large South African antelope (Alcelaphus caama), formerly much more abundant than it is now. The face and legs are marked with black, the rump with white. [ Written also hartebeest, and hartebest. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any anteleope of the genus Alcelaphus and certain species of Darnaliscus. [ PJC ]

n. 1. large African antelope with lyre-shaped horns that curve backward. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. pl. 1. The name given in later times to the Asmonaeans, a family of Jewish patriots, who headed a religious revolt in the reign of Antiochus IV., 168-161 b. c., which led to a period of freedom for Israel. Schaff-Herzog. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The name of two ancient historical books, which give accounts of Jewish affairs in or about the time of the Maccabean princes, and which are received as canonical books in the Roman Catholic Church, but are included in the Apocrypha by Protestants. Also applied to three books, two of which are found in some MSS. of the Septuagint. [ 1913 Webster ]