honeycomb

[ huhn-ee-kohm ]

/ ˈhʌn iˌkoʊm /

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noun

a structure of rows of hexagonal wax cells, formed by bees in their hive for the storage of honey, pollen, and their eggs.

a piece of this containing honey and chewed as a sweet.

anything whose appearance suggests such a structure, especially in containing many small units or holes: The building was a honeycomb of offices and showrooms.

the reticulum of a ruminant.

Textiles.

Also called waffle cloth. a fabric with an embossed surface woven in a pattern resembling a honeycomb.
the characteristic weave of such a fabric.

adjective

having the structure or appearance of a honeycomb.

verb (used with object)

to cause to be full of holes; pierce with many holes or cavities: an old log honeycombed with ant burrows.

to penetrate in all parts: a city honeycombed with vice.

Nearby words

honey-eater, honey-sweet, honeybee, honeyberry, honeybunch, honeycomb, honeycomb lung, honeycomb moth, honeycomb tripe, honeycomb work, honeycreeper

Origin of honeycomb

before 1050; Middle English huny-comb, Old English hunigcamb. See honey, comb¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for honeycomb

Put one of these tissues under a microscope and you will find that it consists of a honeycomb of small compartments or units.
Psychology and Achievement|Warren Hilton
At the top the apron is narrowed by means of three groups of honeycomb or diamond smocking, terminating in points.
Needlework Economies|Various
Carries their letters and messages for them all over the show, to your people at the Honeycomb too, sometimes.
The Disturbing Charm|Berta Ruck
The cultured nature is a honeycomb: his is a solid mass; and masses give us our most picturesque effects.
Stories of the Foot-hills|Margaret Collier Graham

There were three main types including the compound “honeycomb” and “chain” types, and the solitary or compound “cup” type.
Geology|William J. Miller

British Dictionary definitions for honeycomb

honeycomb

/ (ˈhʌnɪˌkəʊm) /

noun

a waxy structure, constructed by bees in a hive, that consists of adjacent hexagonal cells in which honey is stored, eggs are laid, and larvae develop

something resembling this in structure or appearance

zoology another name for reticulum (def. 2)

verb (tr)

to pierce or fill with holes, cavities, etc

to permeatehoneycombed with spies

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for honeycomb

honeycomb

Old English hunigcamb; see honey (n.) + comb (n). Probably the image is from wool combing. Transferred use, of structures of similar appearance, from 1520s. As a verb, from 1620s (implied in honeycombed).

honeycomb

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of honeycomb

Examples from the Web for honeycomb

British Dictionary definitions for honeycomb

honeycomb

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin and History for honeycomb

honeycomb