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. honey-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 ]