honeycomb

noun hon·ey·comb \ ˈhə-nē-ˌkōm \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Definition of honeycomb

1 : a mass of hexagonal wax cells built by honeybees in their nest to contain their brood and stores of honey

2 : something that resembles a honeycomb in structure or appearance; especially : a strong lightweight cellular structural material

See honeycomb defined for English-language learners

See honeycomb defined for kids

Examples of honeycomb in a Sentence

One of the honeycombs was empty.

Recent Examples of honeycomb from the Web

Some more new-gen iterations of the honeycomb are due out this fall.

— Vogue, "From Ana Khouri to Tasaki, A Survey of Couture Week’s Coolest Jewels," 9 July 2018
Lincoln Park Zoo 312-742-2000 That honeycomb in Lincoln Park Zoo is good for more than just an Instagram photo-op.

— shelbie lynn bostedt, RedEye Chicago, "Get moving with these unique yoga classes in Chicago," 30 July 2017
Old-school pelmeni molds, looking like panels of honeycomb, hang above the counter.

— New York Times, "Modern Russian Dumplings That Nod to the Past," 26 Apr. 2018
New Britain is putting $7.5 million into rebuilding the Main Street bridge over Route 72 as the Beehive Bridge, with large bee sculptures and honeycomb-themed side walls.

— don stacom, Courant Community, "Downtown New Britain's Newest Buzz: The Hive," 7 June 2018
But this form, with its fractured spaces, would later evolve into the often gloriously gilded or brightly painted, three-dimensional honeycomb building corners that are known as muqarnas.

— judith h. dobrzynski, WSJ, "A Final Resting Place, Both Beguiling and Beautiful," 4 May 2018
The chassis was constructed of aluminum honeycomb with its segments bonded together.

— davey g. johnson, Car and Driver, "Jam Master J-12: Ford GT40 Mark IV Heading to Auction in Florida," 8 Feb. 2018
Subsequent passes organize the atoms into graphene's signature honeycomb pattern.

— prachi patel, Scientific American, "The Quirkier Uses of Graphene," 16 May 2018
Meanwhile, the Bombas Marls uses a special honeycomb design to help support your arch.

— Outside Online, "The Best Socks of 2018," 15 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'honeycomb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of honeycomb

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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honeycomb

verb

Definition of honeycomb

honeycombed; honeycombing; honeycombs

transitive verb

1 a : to cause to be full of cavities like a honeycomb

b : to make into a checkered pattern : fret

2 a : to penetrate into every part : fill

b : subvert, weaken

intransitive verb

: to become pitted, checked, or cellular

Recent Examples of honeycomb from the Web

They were honeycombed, more air than wood, chewed hollow by worms.

— earl swift, Outside Online, "The Incredible True Story of the Henrietta C.," 20 June 2018
But most of the residents live in brick or concrete block dwellings along alleys and stairways that honeycomb the sides of Two Brothers Mountain.

— mimi whitefield, miamiherald, "Young journalists bring the reailty of Brazil's favelas to print | Miami Herald," 17 Oct. 2017
Zinke has looked around his department and finds that it is honeycombed with traitors.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "If You Know What You're Talking About, Get Out," 26 Sep. 2017
Britain is honeycombed with secretive institutions, particularly public schools and Oxbridge colleges, which have their own private languages.

— The Economist, "To understand Britain, read its spy novels," 9 Sep. 2017
Morels are prized because of their unbeatable combination of flavor (full and hearty) and texture (honeycombed and sort of spongy).

— daniel neman, sacbee.com, "Fungus in the kitchen? Delicious when it’s mushrooms," 13 June 2017
Lost in the haze are the concrete-block dormitories honeycombed with closet-size rooms that house migrant workers.

— peter s. goodman, New York Times, "As Dubai’s Skyline Adds a Trophy, the Architect Calls It Stolen," 8 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of honeycomb

1735

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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HONEYCOMB Defined for English Language Learners

honeycomb

noun

Definition of honeycomb for English Language Learners

: a group of wax cells with six sides that are built by honeybees in their hive and that contain young bees or honey

HONEYCOMB Defined for Kids

honeycomb

noun hon·ey·comb \ ˈhə-nē-ˌkōm \

Definition of honeycomb for Students

: a mass of wax cells built by honeybees in their nest to contain young bees and stores of honey

Medical Dictionary

honeycomb

noun hon·ey·comb \ -ˌkōm \

medical Definition of honeycomb

: reticulum 1

Learn More about honeycomb

See words that rhyme with honeycomb Spanish Central: Translation of honeycomb Nglish: Translation of honeycomb for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about honeycomb

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honeycomb

Definition of honeycomb

Examples of honeycomb in a Sentence

Recent Examples of honeycomb from the Web

First Known Use of honeycomb

honeycomb

Definition of honeycomb

Recent Examples of honeycomb from the Web

First Known Use of honeycomb

HONEYCOMB Defined for English Language Learners

honeycomb

Definition of honeycomb for English Language Learners

HONEYCOMB Defined for Kids

honeycomb

Definition of honeycomb for Students

Medical Dictionary

honeycomb

medical Definition of honeycomb

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