Streptococcus. Vicissitude. Lackadaisical.

Most people aren’t going to know what those words mean, but the winning team at the Suffolk Education Foundation’s Grown Up Spelling Bee sure knew how to spell them.

As luck would “hive” it, The Typographical Airers, The Suffolk News-Herald’s team and the Queen Bee sponsor, buzzed back to their office with the trophy this year after tying for third in last year’s spelling bee.

The team, Tracy Agnew, Alex Perry and Jen Jaqua, didn’t use a single lifeline they purchased to get through the competition. Agnew did take the team under her wings, and was a big help on their road to victory.

“I didn’t know that Tracy had so much room on her shoulders for us,” reporter Alex Perry said.

“I’m glad the Queen Bee sponsor won fair and square,” Suffolk Education Foundation spokeswoman Bethanne Bradshaw said after the competition.

Despite having lifelines ready to go, the News-Herald’s team got through every round without having to use them. They may not have used any, but they did get stung by Kilbee’s Wordbusters, the team representing Kilby Shores Elementary School.

Like most normal people, Kilby Shores got stuck on lugubrious. The word didn’t faze the Airers as they moved on through to the next round.

The stage was full of fierce competitors clad in creative costumes, and some of them even stuck with the bee theme. BeeCharged, representing John Yeates Middle School, was crowned best costume. The team won with their bee-striped shirts and antennae.

Other costumes included the Wordbusters in white jumpsuits and pencil guns, The Typographical Airers’ Scrabble tiles, alligators and Rice Krispies characters.

Even Superintendent Deran Whitney and his assistant superintendents, Suzanne Rice and LaToya Harrison, came ready to wow the crowd in costume, dressed in capes and superhero T-shirts. The team’s ultimate “bee-mise” was the word “scherzo” — a playful composition in a symphony or sonata.

Buoyancy, hemorrhage and idiosyncrasy stung the competition and caused competitors to take a seat in the crowd.

This was the second year the foundation put on the spelling bee, and the crowd was even bigger this time.

“I thought it went really well. I was pleased with 13 teams and a good mix of school and community support. Everyone had a lot of fun,” Bradshaw said.

With the success of the spelling bee, the Education Foundation will start holding it annually and hopes to have a bigger crowd, Bradshaw said.

Not only did school members and community members have fun in costume, but a board member from the foundation ran around the competition in a bee suit.

“I think the kids liked having the costume,” Bradshaw said. “Costumed characters never reveal themselves, but they were a really good sport to wear that thing.”