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honeysuckle

[ huhn-ee-suhk-uhl ]

noun

  1. any of numerous North American and Eurasian shrubs or twining vines of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae), many species of which are hardy climbers known for their highly fragrant tubular flowers, especially those of genus Lonicera.


honeysuckle

/ ˈhʌnɪˌsʌkəl /

noun

  1. any temperate caprifoliaceous shrub or vine of the genus Lonicera: cultivated for their fragrant white, yellow, or pink tubular flowers
  2. any of several similar plants
  3. any of various Australian trees or shrubs of the genus Banksia, having flowers in dense spikes: family Proteaceae
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈhoneyˌsuckled, adjective
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Other Words From

  • hon·ey·suck·led adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of honeysuckle1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English honisoukel, equivalent to honisouke + -el; honey, suck, -le
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Word History and Origins

Origin of honeysuckle1

Old English hunigsūce, from honey + suck ; see suckle
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Example Sentences

You can taste the grassy honeysuckle and anise flavors of the sugar cane in the piloncillo because it’s made by hand without industrial processing, she said, adding that the chocolatería prefers it to regular sugar.

And nine years ago, volunteers cleared acres of nonnative, invasive Amur honeysuckle from Cincinnati park's Buttercup Valley Nature Preserve, creating fertile ground for another invasive species, Higan cherry, to take hold, he said.

Flora asks if Edward has noticed the honeysuckle.

And in the past half-hour, she suggested that we team up with Root Beer to invent a better herbal cigarette because “those honeysuckle things are just the worst.”

It said this includes popular species such as hawthorn, hazel, honeysuckle and jasmine.

From BBC

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More About Honeysuckle

What is honeysuckle?

Honeysuckle is a climbing or upright shrub with fragrant white, yellow, pink, or red tubular flowers.

This flower can also be called a honeysuckle. They are known for having a sweet drop of nectar that you can get by pulling the stamen out of the base of the flower blossom. However, other parts of the plant can be toxic if ingested.

There are many different species of honeysuckle, including Diervilla lonicera and Lonicera periclymenum. Any species in the genus Lornicera can be called honeysuckle.

Names for some varieties of honeysuckle include woodbine and common honeysuckle.

The honeysuckle is one of the June birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).

Example: The kids made a bouquet of wild honeysuckle flowers that they found in the woods.

Where does honeysuckle come from?

The first records of the word honeysuckle come from the 1200s. It comes from the Middle English honiesoukel, equivalent to the Old English hunigsūce, both of which are a combination of words meaning “honey” and “suck” or “suckle.” The name is a reference to the practice of sucking the flowers’ honeylike nectar.

Honeysuckles are native to temperate zones and can be evergreen or deciduous, meaning that some species retain their leaves during seasonal transitions while others shed them. They are known for attracting pollinator species, including hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for honeysuckle?

  • woodbine (a specific variety of honeysuckle)

What are some words that share a root or word element with honeysuckle

What are some words that often get used in discussing honeysuckle?

How is honeysuckle used in real life?

Honeysuckles are known for their fragrant blossoms and the sweet nectar that can be sucked from them.

Try using honeysuckle!

True or False?

There are many different species of honeysuckle.

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honeysuckerhoneysuckle family