honeycomb.
A substance made by bees (clade Anthophila) primarily from beeswax which has hexagonal cells to hold their larvae, and for storing pollen and honey to feed the larvae and themselves when other food is scarce; it is also eaten by humans as part of comb-honey; (countable) a single sheet made up of two layers of this substance.
Meaning & usage
A substance made by bees (clade Anthophila) primarily from beeswax which has hexagonal cells to hold their larvae, and for storing pollen and honey to feed the larvae and themselves when other food is scarce; it is also eaten by humans as part of comb-honey; (countable) a single sheet made up of two layers of this substance.
Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes.
The wood porch was a honeycomb of termite tunnels before we replaced it.
Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes. A space-filling packing of polytopes in three- or higher-dimensional space.
Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes. The texture of the surface of a solar cell, intended to increase its surface area and capture more sunlight.
Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes. A defect in a material (especially metal) where small holes are present; specifically (construction), a defect in concrete consisting of numerous voids resulting from the failure of mortar to effectively fill the spaces among coarse aggregate particles.
Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes. Material manufactured with small hollow cells, sometimes sandwiched between two flat sheets, which is used to make light, stiff structural components.
Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes. Ellipsis of honeycomb stomach (“the reticulum or second compartment of the stomach of a cow or other ruminant”).
Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes. Ellipsis of honeycomb work (“especially in Moorish architecture: a form of ceiling ornamentation (especially of an arch or dome) made up of small vaulted arches”).
Something resembling honeycomb in sweetness; hence, something desirable or pleasant.
Something resembling honeycomb in sweetness; hence, something desirable or pleasant. Used as a term of endearment: honey, sweetheart.
Something resembling honeycomb in sweetness; hence, something desirable or pleasant. A crumbly confection usually made by boiling together golden syrup, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, and water.
honeycomb toffee
Where this word comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English honycomb, from Old English huniġcamb, from huniġ (“honey”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kn̥h₂ónks (“honey”)) + camb (“comb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“peg; tooth; row of teeth”)). The English word is analysable as honey + comb. The Oxford English Dictionary posits that the arrangement of several plates of wax “hanging parallel to each other from the roof of the hive suggests a comb with its teeth”. The verb is derived from the noun. Compare Saterland Frisian Hunichmoarte (“honeycomb”), West Frisian huningskiif (“honeycomb”), Dutch honingraat (“honeycomb”), German Honigwabe (“honeycomb”).
To riddle (something) with small holes, especially in a pattern resembling a honeycomb (noun sense 1); also, to cause (something) to become hollow or weakened in this way.
To bore cavities or tunnels inside (something).
Termites will honeycomb a porch made of untreated pine.
To decorate (something) with a honeycomb pattern.
To make way deeply into (something) so as to weaken it; to undermine.
To ornament (a ceiling) with honeycomb work (see noun sense 2.4).
To become riddled with small holes, especially in a pattern resembling a honeycomb; also, to become hollow or weakened in this way.
Where this word comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English honycomb, from Old English huniġcamb, from huniġ (“honey”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kn̥h₂ónks (“honey”)) + camb (“comb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“peg; tooth; row of teeth”)). The English word is analysable as honey + comb. The Oxford English Dictionary posits that the arrangement of several plates of wax “hanging parallel to each other from the roof of the hive suggests a comb with its teeth”. The verb is derived from the noun. Compare Saterland Frisian Hunichmoarte (“honeycomb”), West Frisian huningskiif (“honeycomb”), Dutch honingraat (“honeycomb”), German Honigwabe (“honeycomb”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.