1 C1 neutral
In beekeeping, to introduce a swarm of bees into a hive.
"The beekeeper hived up the new swarm before sundown."
separable
hive up
C1 neutral separable transitive
To store or accumulate things, or (in beekeeping) to install a swarm of bees into a hive.
In plain English
To collect and store things together, like bees storing honey in a hive.
What does "hive up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
To accumulate or store things up, often industriously.
"Over the decades, the collector had hived up thousands of rare stamps."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To put (bees) up into a hive — the storage meaning is a direct extension.
Actually means
To collect and store things together, like bees storing honey in a hive.
Usage tip
This phrasal verb is quite rare outside of beekeeping contexts. The figurative sense of accumulating is mostly archaic or dialectal. Learners are unlikely to encounter it except in literary or specialized texts.
Words that pair with "hive up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
bees honey swarm supplies resources
How to conjugate "hive up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hive up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hives up
he/she/it
Past simple
hived up
yesterday
Past participle
hived up
have + pp
-ing form
hiving up
continuous
Hear "hive up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hive up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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