abejear

A rare regional verb — used in El Salvador for being alert or on one's guard — with a secondary, more literal sense elsewhere of buzzing or swarming around like bees (from abeja, bee).

• Hay que abejear porque la zona es peligrosa de noche. — You have to stay alert because the area is dangerous at night.
• Los curiosos abejeaban alrededor del accidente. — The onlookers swarmed around the accident.
• Abejeaba por el mercado buscando gangas. — She buzzed around the market looking for bargains.

This word is rare enough outside El Salvador that a learner shouldn't expect it to be understood generally — estar alerta covers the "be on guard" sense in standard Spanish.

Often confused with alertar.