honeydew
UK /ˈhʌnɪdjuː/ · US /ˈhʌniˌd(j)u/ noun, adjective
Forms honeydews
- noun (uncountable) A sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves and other plant parts by insects (especially aphids and scale insects) feeding on plant sap, or by fungi.
- noun (uncountable) A sweet liquid substance resembling the substance mentioned in sense 1, such as honey, nectar, or manna in the Bible.
- noun (uncountable) A blackish mould (often called sooty mould) produced by fungi of the order Dothideales, feeding on the substance mentioned in sense 1.
- noun (uncountable, originally US) In full honeydew tobacco: a fine sort of tobacco moistened with a sweet substance (originally molasses).
- noun (uncountable) A light green colour, like the flesh of some honeydew melons.
- noun (countable, figuratively) Something that is enjoyable or pleasant.
- adjective Of a light green colour, like the flesh of some honeydew melons.
Synonyms
Etymology
The noun is derived from honey + dew, originally believed to be a form of dew that fell from the sky like rain onto plants (see sense 1).
The adjective is derived from the noun.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “honeydew”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details