honey

¹hon·ey

noun \ˈhə-nē\

plural honeys

Definition of HONEY

1

a : a sweet viscid material elaborated out of the nectar of flowers in the honey sac of various bees

b : a sweet fluid resembling honey that is collected or elaborated by various insects

2

a : a loved one : sweetheart, dear

b : a superlative example

3

: the quality or state of being sweet : sweetness

4

: an attractive woman

Examples of HONEY

1. She likes honey in her tea.
2. Your car is a real honey.

Origin of HONEY

Middle English hony, from Old English hunig; akin to Old High German honag honey, and probably to Sanskrit kāñcana gold, Latin canicae bran

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HONEY

Synonyms

babe [slang], beauty queen, cookie (or cooky), cutie (or cutey), dolly bird [British], enchantress, eyeful, fox, goddess, beauty, knockout, queen, stunner

Related Words

belle, charmer, peach; bathing beauty, cover girl, pinup girl; bimbette [slang], bunny, houri, sex kitten, sexpot, sex symbol; cutie-pie, dish, doll, dreamboat [slang], hottie, looker, pretty; coquette, femme fatale, siren, temptress, vamp

Near Antonyms

bag, dog, frump; crone, hag, horror, witch; gorgon, monster

Other Insect Terms

drone, entomology, gadfly, pismire, proboscis, vespine

Rhymes with HONEY

bunny, funny, money, punny, runny, sonny, sunny, tunny

²honey

verb

hon·eyed also hon·ied \ˈhə-nēd\ hon·ey·ing

Definition of HONEY

transitive verb

1

: to sweeten with or as if with honey

2

: to speak ingratiatingly to : flatter

intransitive verb

: to use blandishments or cajolery

Examples of HONEY

1. <she knew that the hairstylist was honeying her for a reason—the expectation of a generous tip>

First Known Use of HONEY

14th century

Related to HONEY

Synonyms

adulate, belaud, blarney, butter up, hero-worship, flatter, massage, overpraise, puff, soft-soap, stroke

Related Words

blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle; fawn, kowtow, suck (up to), toady; idolize, worship; eulogize, extol (also extoll), laud, praise; applaud, commend, compliment; congratulate, felicitate; drool, gush, slaver, slobber; endear, ingratiate; court, romance, woo

Near Antonyms

bad-mouth, belittle, decry, depreciate, disparage, put down

Rhymes with HONEY

funny, money

³honey

adjective

Definition of HONEY

1

: of, relating to, or resembling honey

2

: much loved : dear

First Known Use of HONEY

14th century

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

hon·ey

noun \ˈhən-ē\   (Medical Dictionary)

plural ; honeys

Medical Definition of HONEY

1

: a sweet viscid material elaborated out of the nectar of flowers in the honey sac of various bees

2

: any of various preparations consisting of simple mixtures of medicaments with honey

—honey adjective

honey

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Sweet, viscous liquid food, golden in colour, produced in the honey sacs of various bees from the nectar of flowers. Honey has played an important role in human nutrition since ancient times; until about 250 years ago, it was almost the sole sweetening agent. Honey is often produced on a commercial scale from clover (Trifolium) or sweet clover (Melilotus) by the domestic honeybee. The nectar is ripened into honey by inversion of most of its sucrose into the sugars levulose (fructose) and dextrose (glucose) and the removal of excess moisture. Honey is stored in the beehive or nest in a honeycomb, a double layer of uniform hexagonal cells constructed of beeswax and propolis (a plant resin). The honey is used in winter as food for the bee larvae and other members of the colony. Honey extracted for human consumption is usually heated to destroy fermentation-causing yeasts and then strained. See also beekeeping.