honeydew
Americannoun
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the sweet material that exudes from the leaves of certain plants in hot weather.
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a sugary material secreted by aphids, leafhoppers, scale insects, psyllids, and other homopterous insects.
noun
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a sugary substance excreted by aphids and similar insects
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a similar substance exuded by certain plants
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short for honeydew melon
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of honeydew
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dan informed me that the shirt wasn’t green but honeydew.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Cantaloupe and honeydew are both delicious, I am not casting shade on either, but there is nothing finer — or more hydrating, or more delicious — than watermelon.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2024
“These invasive insects feed on the sap of grapevines, while also leaving behind a sticky honeydew residue on the clusters and leaves.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2024
It then excretes a sticky, sugary waste called honeydew that attracts insects and a form of sooty mold that can finish off the already weakened plants, posing a danger to crops and native trees.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 28, 2023
At a Catholic orphanage, he hauls out leftover boxes of honeydew melon, oranges, and bread.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
