ˈhʌnɪ n. (pl. -eys) 1 a
sweet sticky yellowish
fluid made by bees
and other insects
from nectar collected from flowers. 2
the colour of
this. 3 a
sweetness. b a sweet
thing. 4 a
person or thing
excellent of
its kind. 5
esp. US (usu. as a
form of address)
darling,
sweetheart. øhoney-badger a
ratel. honey-bee
any of
various bees of the
genus Apis, esp. the
common hive-bee (A. mellifera). honey-bun (or -bunch) (esp. as a form of address) darling. honey-buzzard any
bird of
prey of the genus Pernis feeding on the larvae of bees and wasps. honey-eater any
Australasian bird of the
family Meliphagidae
with a long
tongue that can
take nectar from flowers. honey-fungus a parasitic
fungus, Armillaria mellea, with honey-coloured
edible toadstools. honey-guide 1 any
small bird of the family Indicatoridae
which feeds on
beeswax and insects. 2 a
marking on the
corolla of a
flower thought to
guide bees to nectar. honey-parrot a
lorikeet. honey-pot 1 a pot
for honey. 2 a
posture with the hands clasped
under the hams. 3
something very attractive or
tempting. honey
sac an enlarged
part of a bee's
gullet where honey is formed. honey-sweet sweet as honey. [OE hunig f. Gmc]