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
- honeydewed adjective
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.
“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
Ants will protect aphids in order to feast on the sticky honeydew that they produce.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024
Where the bugs are thick, lanternfly honeydew can kill the forest’s understory by blanketing it in stickiness, which encourages the growth of sooty mold.
From National Geographic • Aug. 31, 2023
The report continued: "Cantaloupes accounted for 56% of the outbreaks, watermelons accounted for 38% and honeydew melons accounted for 6%."
From Salon • Feb. 11, 2023
"Sugared spaghetti with glazed meatballs and honeydew spinach. Sweetie," she taunted, tugging away in play.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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.
