honeycomb

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) A substance made by bees (clade Anthophila) primarily from beeswax which has hexagonal cells to hold their larvae, and for storing pollen and honey to feed the larvae and themselves when other food is scarce; it is also eaten by humans as part of comb-honey; (countable) a single sheet made up of two layers of this substance.
2. (broadly, countable) Something resembling honeycomb (sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.
3. (broadly, countable) Something resembling honeycomb (sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.
4. (broadly, countable, uncountable) Something resembling honeycomb (sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.
5. (archaic, broadly, countable, uncountable) Something resembling honeycomb (sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.
6. (broadly, countable, uncountable) Something resembling honeycomb (sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.
7. (abbreviation, alt-of, broadly, countable, ellipsis) Something resembling honeycomb (sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.
8. (abbreviation, alt-of, broadly, ellipsis, uncountable) Something resembling honeycomb (sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.
9. (countable, figuratively) Something resembling honeycomb in sweetness; hence, something desirable or pleasant.
10. (archaic, countable, figuratively) Something resembling honeycomb in sweetness; hence, something desirable or pleasant.
11. (Australia, British, attributive, figuratively, often, uncountable) Something resembling honeycomb in sweetness; hence, something desirable or pleasant.

Verb

1. (transitive) To riddle (something) with small holes, especially in a pattern resembling a honeycomb (noun sense 1); also, to cause (something) to become hollow or weakened in this way.
2. (transitive) To bore cavities or tunnels inside (something).
3. (transitive) To decorate (something) with a honeycomb pattern.
4. (figuratively, transitive) To make way deeply into (something) so as to weaken it; to undermine.
5. (transitive) To ornament (a ceiling) with honeycomb work (see noun sense 2.4).
6. (also, archaic, figuratively, intransitive) To become riddled with small holes, especially in a pattern resembling a honeycomb; also, to become hollow or weakened in this way.

Synonyms

beehive

comb

hive

honey

🍯

cell

bull

carton

flaw

force

gate

intrude

obtrude

penetrate

porous

pouch

👝

protrude

push

push forward

push up

spongy

squeeze

thrust

wedge

yellow

reticulum

wild bee

coachwhip ray

thrust ahead

brood comb

rock pocket

honeycomb stingray

honeycombed stingray

leopard ray

leopard stingray

longtail ray

longtailed ray

marbled sting ray

marbled stingray

reticulate whip ray

vortex gate

damping screen

honeycomb screen

alveolus

nidus vespa

bag

beeswax

bike

🚲

bonnet

Translations

Wabe

panal

rayon de miel

favo

Honigwabe

favus

honingraat

favo

κηρήθρα

bresca

petek

μελικηρίς

Bienenwabe

μελόπηττα

alvéole

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhʌnikəʊm/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: hony comb

Inherited from Old English: huniġcamb

In summary

The noun is derived from Middle English hony comb, from Old English huniġcamb, from huniġ (“honey”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kn̥h₂ónks (“honey”)) + camb (“comb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“peg; tooth; row of teeth”)). The English word is analysable as honey + comb. The Oxford English Dictionary posits that the arrangement of several plates of wax “hanging parallel to each other from the roof of the hive suggests a comb with its teeth”. The verb is derived from the noun.