honeycomb

noun

hon·ey·comb | \ ˈhə-nē-ˌkōm

Definition of honeycomb

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

honeycomb

verb

honeycombed; honeycombing; honeycombs

Definition of honeycomb (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

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

b : to make into a checkered pattern : fret

2a : to penetrate into every part : fill

b : subvert, weaken

intransitive verb

: to become pitted, checked, or cellular

Examples of honeycomb in a Sentence

Noun

One of the honeycombs was empty.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

These 100 percent cotton towels have all of these benefits thanks to an extra-large waffle weave with deep honeycomb pockets and wide edges, allowing you to save energy, water, time, and money. Don't worry! — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "These Smart Towels Are Naturally Antibacterial, so They’ll Never Smell," 8 May 2019 The tent’s roof is made from a translucent honeycomb composite that allows daylight to illuminate the interior, and its fabric body is PVC-backed, for long-lasting, and total weather protection. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, "A Better Rooftop Tent That's a Camper, Too," 3 Apr. 2018 The researchers chose to use a ribbon of a graphene double-layer (graphene is a single layer of graphene with the carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern). — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "High-density lithium in graphene: An intriguing battery possibility," 29 Nov. 2018 Then the Twins used an aluminum honeycomb-style material used to make aircraft bodies that needed to be re-angled so the top didn’t glow as much. — Dave Campbell, The Seattle Times, "Spruced up: Twins try juniper plants for CF backdrop," 25 Mar. 2019 Leave room for dessert, especially the palm sugar and burnt caramel ice cream sundae with salted honeycomb and lime syrup. — Sophie Davies, Condé Nast Traveler, "29 Best Restaurants in Sydney," 14 Mar. 2018 Try Casabella Microfiber Glass Cloths, which have a special honeycomb texture to nab water spots, smudges, and dirt from mirrors and glass without scratching. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "The Best Way to Clean Windows, According to Our Cleaning Lab," 22 Feb. 2019 Woodstoves come in two basic types: with and without a catalyst, which is a honeycomb-like baffle plated with precious metals (left in the image). — Roy Berendson, Popular Mechanics, "The Ultimate Guide To Cutting and Splitting Firewood," 28 Sep. 2018 Centuries of Roman history lie buried in the darkness in layers stretching down to 8.5 meters (27.89 feet) below the modern floor of the cathedral, and the subterranean archaeological sites are like a honeycomb through the city’s Caelian Hill. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Archaeologists map centuries of history beneath world’s oldest cathedral," 30 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The freshwater canals that once honeycombed through the city earned it the name the Venice of the East. — Nabih Bulos, latimes.com, "Basra was once a jewel of a city. Now it's a symbol what's wrong in Iraq," 17 June 2018 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

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.