honeysuckle

noun

hon·​ey·​suck·​le ˈhə-nē-ˌsə-kəl How to pronounce honeysuckle (audio)
: any of a genus (Lonicera of the family Caprifoliaceae, the honeysuckle family) of shrubs with opposite leaves and fragrant tubular flowers rich in nectar
broadly : any of various plants (such as a columbine or azalea) with tubular flowers rich in nectar

Illustration of honeysuckle

Illustration of honeysuckle

Examples of honeysuckle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 Natural ingredients like honeysuckle and baobab help calm skin and prevent moisture loss, while sodium hyaluronate offers ultimate hydration. Kayla Blanton, Verywell Health, 6 Dec. 2023 The purple flower often smells of citrus, like orange blossom and honeysuckle, and looks akin to small, pointed clusters of forget-me-nots. Gia Yetikyel, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2023 The thin racemes that produced the hosta’s pink flowers need removing, the high-bush blueberries have too many canes, the honeysuckle has grown leggy, and then there’s the rhododendron. Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024 For those who can’t make it to Las Vegas, Bellagio has also released a special edition Prosperity Candle for the Year of the Dragon with scents of honeysuckle nectar, hyacinth, lemon, and orange blossom, which can be purchased through bellagioathome.com. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2024 From bottom left to top right is a tinder bundle, made from the inner bark of a cottonwood tree and some red cedar bark, a stone thunderhead, a honeysuckle bow with a cord made from dogbane fibers, a goldenrod spindle and a white pine hearth board. Bradley Duncan, Discover Magazine, 25 Dec. 2023 And then, there’s the P-61 Black Widow, a chardonnay and viognier blend with citrus and honeysuckle aromas. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024 In my area, honeysuckle leaves not only remain green during the late season, but the dense stands also provide bedding and security cover for hungry whitetails. Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honeysuckle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English honysoukel clover, alteration of honysouke, from Old English hunisūce, from hunig honey + sūcan to suck

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of honeysuckle was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near honeysuckle

Cite this Entry

“Honeysuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honeysuckle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

honeysuckle

noun
hon·​ey·​suck·​le -ˌsək-əl How to pronounce honeysuckle (audio)
: any of a genus of shrubs having fragrant tube-shaped flowers rich in nectar

More from Merriam-Webster on honeysuckle

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