HONEYCOMB


Meaning of HONEYCOMB in English

I. ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English honycomb, from Old English hunigcamb, from hunig honey + camb comb — more at honey , comb I

1.

a. : a mass of hexagonal prismatic wax cells varying in size according to their use built by honeybees in their nest or hive to contain their brood and stores of honey — compare beeswax

b. : a mass of cells containing honey used as an article of food

pats of butter stamped with a swan, and slabs of honeycomb — Mary Webb

2. : a flaw in metal due to imperfect casting, corrosion, or the abrasive action of gunpowder

a scratch or spot of honeycomb in the grooves renders the rifle completely useless for match-shooting — W.W.Greener

3.

a. : something that resembles a honeycomb in structure or appearance

a honeycomb of pigeonholes stuffed with old letters — Berton Roueché

a honeycomb of dark, roofed-in arcades — Mollie Panter-Downes

is experimenting with metal honeycomb made of stainless steel — Reid Hale

a red honeycomb of fire burning far into a great pine root — Eve Langley

specifically : a building facade having a multicellular pattern of repeated units

b.

(1) : a weave with a small allover pattern of raised squares, oblongs, or diamonds with indented centers formed by long floats

(2) : a reversible fabric of this weave made usually of cotton or wool and used for clothing or towels — called also waffle cloth

c. or honeycomb stomach : reticulum 1

d. : honeycomb sponge

II. transitive verb

1.

a. : to cause to be full of cavities like a honeycomb : make into a tissue of holes separated by thin walls or partitions : pit

both substances eat and honeycomb the pipe — Emily Holt

the tunnels of the subways honeycomb rocks and rivers and skyscrapers — American Guide Series: New York City

the limestone country hereabouts is honeycombed with caves and grottoes — Tom Marvel

b. : to make into a checkered pattern : fret

the 650,000-odd peasant settlements which honeycomb the countryside — Daniel & Alice Thorner

blouses are ruched and honeycombed in alternating panels

2.

a. : to penetrate into every part of : fill , infiltrate

a book that has been honeycombed with classical allusions

the … government is honeycombed with spies — T.H.White b.1915

b. : subvert , weaken

the gigantic edifice of prices was honeycombed with speculative credit — F.L.Allen

intransitive verb

: to become pitted, checked, or cellular in structure or appearance

acids cause boiler metal to honeycomb

the cliff opened … before the girl, honeycombing into archways and steep flights of stairs — Kay Boyle

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.