honeycomb

1 of 2

noun

hon·​ey·​comb ˈhə-nē-ˌkōm 

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

2 of 2

verb

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

Examples of honeycomb in a Sentence

Noun

One of the honeycombs was empty.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On the nose, expect aromas of brandied plum, rich mocha and honeycomb layered with caramel snaps, molasses tart and cocoa. —Emily Price, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Harutyunyan recommends gifting high-quality honey that includes a piece of honeycomb for a unique touch. —Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026

Verb

The state’s corporate income and business personal property taxes, both honeycombed with exemptions, hardly apply to the new service economy; the same is largely true of the state sales tax. —George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2026

The hotel is near surreal valleys, honeycombed with cave dwellings and frescoed Byzantine cave churches. —Anya Von Bremzen, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1735, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for honeycomb

• acrosome
• aerodrome
• catacomb
• centrosome
• chromosome
• cytochrome
• hippodrome
• liposome
• meerschaum
• metronome
• microtome
• monochrome

Kids Definition

honeycomb

1 of 2 noun

hon·​ey·​comb -ˌkōm 

1

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

2

: something that resembles a honeycomb in structure or appearance

honeycomb

2 of 2 verb

: to make or become full of holes like a honeycomb

Medical Definition

honeycomb

noun

hon·​ey·​comb -ˌkōm 

: reticulum sense 1