honeysuckle

noun

hon·​ey·​suck·​le ˈhə-nē-ˌsə-kəl 

: 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

Examples of honeysuckle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Red or orange tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, as do natives like honeysuckle, bee balm and hummingbird sage, which are rich with nectar. —Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025

There are intriguing aromas of pear, melon, geranium and a hint of honeysuckle. —Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Mississippi's Cathead Distillery captures the essence of summertime in their honeysuckle vodka, which lends sweetness to this watermelon sipper. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025

Last year, the program oversaw the removal of 47 burning bushes, 102 invasive pears, 138 Amur honeysuckles, 12,300 square feet of Wintercreeper and several other species. —Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2025

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

Phrases Containing honeysuckle

• trumpet honeysuckle

Rhymes for honeysuckle

• buckle
• chicle
• chuckle
• knuckle
• muckle
• suckle
• tical

Kids Definition

honeysuckle

noun

hon·​ey·​suck·​le -ˌsək-əl 

: any of a genus of shrubs having fragrant tube-shaped flowers rich in nectar