Honeycomb

/ˈhʌnikəʊm/ noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: 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.
  • Grammar: honeycomb is listed as noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: alveolation, alveolus, ambrosia, artificial sweetener.
  • Useful contrasts: noncellular, solid, solid block.
  • Usage evidence: Honeycomb design may improve thin-film solar cells.

How to use "honeycomb"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "honeycomb" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "honeycomb" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "honeycomb" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "honeycomb" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "honeycomb" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "alveolation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "honeycomb", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    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. uncountable

    "Pleaſant words are [as] an honycombe, ſweete to the ſoule, and health to the bones."

  2. 2
    a framework of hexagonal cells resembling the honeycomb built by bees wordnet
  3. 3
    Something resembling honeycomb (noun sense 1) in having numerous cells or small holes. broadly, countable

    "The wood porch was a honeycomb of termite tunnels before we replaced it."

  4. 4
    a structure of small hexagonal cells constructed from beeswax by bees and used to store honey and larvae wordnet
  5. 5
    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. broadly, countable
Show 8 more definitions
  1. 6
    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. broadly, countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    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. archaic, broadly, countable, uncountable
  3. 8
    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. broadly, countable, uncountable
  4. 9
    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”). abbreviation, alt-of, broadly, countable, ellipsis

    "A rudimentall reſemblance hereof there is in the cruciated and rugged folds of the Reticulum, or Net-like Ventricle of ruminating horned animals, vvhich is the ſecond in order, and culinarily called the Honey-comb."

  5. 10
    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”). abbreviation, alt-of, broadly, ellipsis, uncountable
  6. 11
    Something resembling honeycomb in sweetness; hence, something desirable or pleasant. countable, figuratively

    "[F]or he [Jesus Christ] vvas the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and from him being crucified for our ſinnes, and ſlaine for our redemption, vve receive our honey and our honey-combe, that is to ſay, peace vvith God the Father."

  7. 12
    Something resembling honeycomb in sweetness; hence, something desirable or pleasant.; Used as a term of endearment: honey, sweetheart. archaic, countable, figuratively

    "Adievv; / My honey-combe hovv ſvveet thou art, […]"

  8. 13
    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. Australia, British, attributive, figuratively, often, uncountable

    "honeycomb toffee"

Verb
  1. 1
    To riddle (something) with small holes, especially in a pattern resembling a honeycomb (noun noun sense 1); also, to cause (something) to become hollow or weakened in this way. transitive

    "The ordinary tourist who visits the Boulak museum and the Necropolis of Sakkara, and then runs up to the First or the Second Cataract, is apt to think that the subject must be wellnigh exhausted; and is scarcely conscious of the fact that the banks of the Nile from Cairo to Thebes, between which he glides so rapidly in a Cook's steamer, or, more tranquilly, journeys in a dahabeeya, are strewn with the mounds of ancient cities, especially on the eastern shore, and that its cliffs are honeycombed with tombs."

  2. 2
    make full of cavities, like a honeycomb wordnet
  3. 3
    To bore cavities or tunnels inside (something). transitive

    "Termites will honeycomb a porch made of untreated pine."

  4. 4
    penetrate thoroughly and into every part wordnet
  5. 5
    To decorate (something) with a honeycomb pattern. transitive
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    carve a honeycomb pattern into wordnet
  2. 7
    To make way deeply into (something) so as to weaken it; to undermine. figuratively, transitive
  3. 8
    To ornament (a ceiling) with honeycomb work (see noun noun sense 2.4). transitive
  4. 9
    To become riddled with small holes, especially in a pattern resembling a honeycomb; also, to become hollow or weakened in this way. also, archaic, figuratively, intransitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
alveolationalveolusambrosiaartificial sweeteneraugerbee comb

Antonyms

Example

"Honeycomb design may improve thin-film solar cells."

Common questions

What does "honeycomb" mean?

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.

What is a synonym for "honeycomb"?

Common synonyms include: alveolation, alveolus, ambrosia, artificial sweetener, auger, bee comb.

How do you use "honeycomb" in a sentence?

Honeycomb design may improve thin-film solar cells.

How do you pronounce "honeycomb"?

Pronounced /ˈhʌnikəʊm/.

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English hony comb, 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.

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