Obs. [a. Gr. κηφήν drone-bee.] A drone-bee.
[1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 318. The Drones at the beginning be termed Sirenes or Cephenes.]
1609. C. Butler, Fem. Mon., I. (1623), C iij. They will … call out the Drones, yea and pull out the Cephens that are shut vp in the cells.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., 21. They lay their Cephen-seeds in a wide comb by themselves.
