honeydew

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) A sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves and other plant parts by insects (especially aphids and scale insects) feeding on plant sap, or by fungi.
2. (broadly, uncountable) A sweet liquid substance resembling the substance mentioned in sense 1, such as honey, nectar, or manna in the Bible.
3. (broadly, uncountable) A blackish mould (often called sooty mould) produced by fungi of the order Dothideales, feeding on the substance mentioned in sense 1.
4. (broadly, uncountable) In full honeydew tobacco: a fine sort of tobacco moistened with a sweet substance (originally molasses).
5. (abbreviation, alt-of, broadly, countable, ellipsis) Ellipsis of honeydew melon (“a melon from the Cucumis melo Inodorus cultivar group, with sweet, light green or white flesh and a smooth greenish-white or yellow rind”).
6. (broadly, uncountable) Ellipsis of honeydew melon (“a melon from the Cucumis melo Inodorus cultivar group, with sweet, light green or white flesh and a smooth greenish-white or yellow rind”).
7. (broadly, countable, figuratively) Something that is enjoyable or pleasant.

Adj

Of a light green colour, like the flesh of some honeydew melons.

Synonyms

honeydew melon

winter melon

cantaloupe

melon

🍈

Translations

miellat

Honigtau

melata

melada

şamama

mielada

مغثر

melón verde

nectar

Honigmelone

miellée

mielata

المنّ

honingdauw

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhʌnɪdjuː/

Etymology

The noun is derived from honey + dew, originally believed to be a form of dew that fell from the sky like rain onto plants (see sense 1).
The adjective is derived from the noun.