'bee-poisonous' is a compound word formed from 'bee' and 'poisonous', where 'bee' refers to the insect and 'poisonous' means having the properties of poison.

The term 'bee-poisonous' combines the Old English word 'bēo' for bee and the Middle English 'poisonous', derived from Old French 'poisonus'.

Initially, 'poisonous' referred to anything harmful or toxic, and when combined with 'bee', it specifically denotes substances harmful to bees.