honey

== English == === Alternative forms === hony (obsolete) hunney, hunny (eye dialect) === Etymology === From Middle English hony, honi, from Old English huniġ, from Proto-West Germanic *hunag, from Proto-Germanic *hunagą (compare Saterland Frisian Hunich, West Frisian hunich, German Low German Honnig, German Honig), from earlier *hunangą (compare North Frisian honning, hönning, West Frisian huning, Dutch honing, Swedish honung), from Proto-Indo-European *kn̥h₂onk-o-s, from *kn̥h₂ónks. Cognate with Middle Welsh canecon (“gold”), Latin canicae pl (“bran”), Tocharian B kronkśe (“bee”), Albanian qengjë (“beehive”), Ancient Greek κνῆκος (knêkos, “safflower”), Northern Kurdish şan (“beehive”), Northern Luri گونج (gonj, “bee”), Finnish hunaja. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈhʌni/ Rhymes: -ʌni Hyphenation: hon‧ey === Noun === honey (usually uncountable, plural honeys or (archaic) honies) (uncountable) A sweet, viscous, gold-colored fluid produced from plant nectar by bees, and often consumed by humans. (countable) A variety of this substance. (rare) Nectar. (figuratively) Something sweet or desirable. A term of affection. (countable, informal) A woman, especially an attractive one. A spectrum of pale yellow to brownish-yellow color, like that of most types of (the sweet substance) honey. (African-American Vernacular, vulgar) Precum; pre-ejaculate. ==== Synonyms ==== (sweet fluid from bees): mel (term of affection): darling, sweetie, see also Thesaurus:sweetheart ==== Hypernyms ==== food liquid ==== Hyponyms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Japanese: ハニー (hanī) →⇒ Jarai: ia hơni → Marshallese: ōne Sranan Tongo: oni Tok Pisin: hani ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === honey (comparative honeyer or honier, superlative honeyest or honiest) Involving or resembling honey. Of a pale yellow to brownish-yellow color, like most types of honey. Honey-sweet. ==== Translations ==== === Verb === honey (third-person singular simple present honeys, present participle honeying, simple past and past participle honeyed) (transitive) To sweeten; to make agreeable. (transitive) To add honey to. (intransitive) To be gentle, agreeable, or coaxing; to talk fondly; to use endearments. (intransitive) To be or become obsequiously courteous or complimentary; to fawn. ==== Derived terms ==== === See also === 🍯 Appendix:Colors