honeycomb

[ huhn-ee-kohm ]

noun

1. a structure of rows of hexagonal wax cells, formed by bees in their hive for the storage of honey, pollen, and their eggs.
2. a piece of this containing honey and chewed as a sweet.
3. anything whose appearance suggests such a structure, especially in containing many small units or holes:

   The building was a honeycomb of offices and showrooms.

4. the reticulum of a ruminant.
5. Textiles.
   1. Also called waf·fle cloth [wof, -, uh, l klawth, kloth]. a fabric with an embossed surface woven in a pattern resembling a honeycomb.
   2. the characteristic weave of such a fabric.

adjective

1. having the structure or appearance of a honeycomb.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to be full of holes; pierce with many holes or cavities:

   an old log honeycombed with ant burrows.

2. to penetrate in all parts:

   a city honeycombed with vice.

honeycomb

/ ˈhʌnɪˌkəʊm /

noun

1. a waxy structure, constructed by bees in a hive, that consists of adjacent hexagonal cells in which honey is stored, eggs are laid, and larvae develop
2. something resembling this in structure or appearance
3. zoology another name for reticulum

verb

1. to pierce or fill with holes, cavities, etc
2. to permeate

   honeycombed with spies

Word History and Origins

Origin of honeycomb¹

before 1050; Middle English huny-comb, Old English hunigcamb. See honey, comb

Example Sentences

The lower level has honeycomb cells, where air absorbs the shock of your foot landing, then pushes out, feeding the energy back as your foot takes off.

From BBC

Shadow of the Erdtree covers a significant stretch of land but feels much tighter, more thoroughly honeycombed through.

From New York Times

For instance, hexagons appear frequently in nature -- think honeycombs and insect eyes -- because they are stable and require the least amount of material to cover a surface.

From Science Daily

In the greengrocery market, the stalls were overhung with date branches, cinnamon stalks, strings of dried orange peels, gunny-bags of pistachios, fresh pears, pomegranates, and boxes of honeycombs.

From Literature

The beekeeper - whom Massis Class's daughter began calling the monster hunter - opened the wall to reveal a large honeycomb.

From BBC

Related Words

• corrupt
• infest
• mar
• pepper
• pervade
• puncture