melliferous

American  

[muh-lif-er-uhs] / məˈlɪf ər əs /

adjective

1. yielding or producing honey.

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melliferous British  

/ mɪˈlɪfɪk, mɪˈlɪfərəs /

adjective

1. forming or producing honey

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Etymology

Origin of melliferous

1650–60; < Latin mellifer honey-bearing ( melli-, stem of mel honey + -fer -fer ) + -ous

Explanation

Those flowers in the park that the bees love are melliferous, because the nectar they produce allows bees to make honey. Melliferous describes things that produce honey or provide the means to produce it. Honeybees, for example, are melliferous creatures, and flowers that produce nectar are melliferous, too, as they provide the raw material that bees need to make honey. Mel is a Latin word meaning "honey," and it has influenced many languages; for instance, the words for honey in Welsh (mêl), Irish (mil), and French (miel) all share this root. Another English word derived from this root is mellifluous, which describes a sound that is sweet and smooth like flowing honey.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

melliferous

Sir: My favorite from the melliferous mouth of Senator Ev came out in Senate debate some years ago.

From Time Magazine Archive

“Is it melliferous, then?” asked Vic, with a smile.

From The Red Man's Revenge A Tale of The Red River Flood by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)

None of the melliferous clan, in my neighbourhood at least, is stirring as early as she is.

From Bramble-Bees and Others by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander

Grelet was a skilled apiarist, and replenished his melliferous flocks by wild swarms enticed from the forests.

From White Shadows in the South Seas by O'Brien, Frederick

The bees," says De Layens, "would seem to be perfectly informed as to the locality, the relative melliferous value, and the distance of every melliferous plant within a certain radius from the hive.

From The Life of the Bee by Sutro, Alfred