Word Study
honeycomb
CIDE DICTIONARY
- A mass of hexagonal waxen cells, formed by bees, and used by them to hold their honey and their eggs. [1913 Webster]
- Any substance, as a easting of iron, a piece of worm-eaten wood, or of triple, etc., perforated with cells like a honeycomb. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
honeycomb, n. & v.
--n.
1 a structure of hexagonal cells of wax, made by bees to store honey and eggs.
2 a a pattern arranged hexagonally. b fabric made with a pattern of raised hexagons etc.
3 tripe from the second stomach of a ruminant.
4 a cavernous flaw in metalwork, esp. in guns.
--v.tr.
1 fill with cavities or tunnels, undermine.
2 mark with a honeycomb pattern.
--n.
1 a structure of hexagonal cells of wax, made by bees to store honey and eggs.
2 a a pattern arranged hexagonally. b fabric made with a pattern of raised hexagons etc.
3 tripe from the second stomach of a ruminant.
4 a cavernous flaw in metalwork, esp. in guns.
--v.tr.
1 fill with cavities or tunnels, undermine.
2 mark with a honeycomb pattern.
Etymology
OE hunigcamb (as HONEY, COMB)
THESAURUS
honeycomb
alveolation, alveolus, ambrosia, artificial sweetener, auger, bespread, bite, blackstrap, bore, broach, calcium cyclamate, cane syrup, clover honey, colander, comb honey, corn syrup, countersink, crawl with, creep with, cribble, cribriformity, cribrosity, cyclamates, dent, diffuse, dimple, dint, drill, edulcoration, empierce, extend throughout, fill, fix, furrow, gore, gouge, gouge out, hole, honey, honeydew, honeypot, imbue, impale, impress, impression, imprint, indent, indentation, indention, indenture, lance, leave no void, leaven, maple syrup, mine, molasses, nectar, needle, net, notch, occupy, overrun, overset, overspread, overswarm, overthrow, overturn, penetrate, perforate, permeate, pervade, pierce, pink, pit, pock, pockmark, porosity, porousness, prick, print, punch, puncture, ream, ream out, riddle, run through, sabotage, saccharification, saccharin, sap, sap the foundations, screen, sieve, sievelikeness, skewer, sodium cyclamate, sorghum, spear, spike, spit, sponge, stab, stick, strainer, subvert, suffuse, sugar, sugar-making, sugaring off, sunken part, swarm with, sweetener, sweetening, sweets, syrup, tap, teem with, throw down, throw over, transfix, transfuse, transpierce, treacle, trepan, trephine, undermine, upend, upset, weakenROGET THESAURUS
honeycomb
Deterioration
N deterioration, debasement, wane, ebb, recession, retrogradation, decrease, degeneracy, degeneration, degenerateness, degradation, depravation, depravement, devolution, depravity, demoralization, retrogression, masochism, impairment, inquination, injury, damage, loss, detriment, delaceration, outrage, havoc, inroad, ravage, scath, perversion, prostitution, vitiation, discoloration, oxidation, pollution, defoedation, poisoning, venenation, leaven, contamination, canker, corruption, adulteration, alloy, decline, declension, declination, decadence, decadency, falling off, caducity, decrepitude, decay, dilapidation, ravages of time, wear and tear, corrosion, erosion, moldiness, rottenness, moth and rust, dry rot, blight, marasmus, atrophy, collapse, disorganization, delabrement (destruction), aphid, Aphis, plant louse, puceron, vinefretter, vinegrub, wreck, mere wreck, honeycomb, magni nominis umbra, jade, plug, rackabones, skate, tackey, tacky, have seen better days, deteriorate, degenerate, fall off, wane, ebb, retrograde, decline, droop, go down, go downhill, go from bad to worse, go farther and fare worse, jump out of the frying pan into the fire, run to seed, go to seed, run to waste swale, sweal, lapse, be the worse for, sphacelate: break, break down, spring a leak, crack, start, shrivel, fade, go off, wither, molder, rot, rankle, decay, go bad, go to decay, fall into decay, fall into the sear and yellow leaf, rust, crumble, shake, totter, totter to its fall, perish, die, deteriorate, weaken, put back, set back, taint, infect, contaminate, poison, empoison, envenom, canker, corrupt, exulcerate, pollute, vitiate, inquinate, debase, embase, denaturalize, denature, leaven, deflower, debauch, defile, deprave, degrade, ulcerate, stain, discolor, alloy, adulterate, sophisticate, tamper with, prejudice, pervert, prostitute, demoralize, brutalize, render vicious, embitter, acerbate, exacerbate, aggravate, injure, impair, labefy, damage, harm, hurt, shend, scath, scathe, spoil, mar, despoil, dilapidate, waste, overrun, ravage, pillage, wound, stab, pierce, maim, lame, surbate, cripple, hough, hamstring, hit between wind and water, scotch, mangle, mutilate, disfigure, blemish, deface, warp, blight, rot, corrode, erode, wear away, wear out, gnaw, gnaw at the root of, sap, mine, undermine, shake, sap the foundations of, break up, disorganize, dismantle, dismast, destroy, damnify, do one's worst, knock down, deal a blow to, play havoc with, play sad havoc with, play the mischief with, play the deuce with, play the very devil with, play havoc among, play sad havoc among, play the mischief among, play the deuce among, play the very devil among, decimate, Adj, unimproved &c (improve), deteriorated, altered, altered for the worse, injured, sprung, withering, spoiling, on the wane, on the decline, tabid, degenerate, marescent, worse, the worse for, all the worse for, out of repair, out of tune, imperfect, the worse for wear, battered, weathered, weather-beaten, stale, passe, shaken, dilapidated, frayed, faded, wilted, shabby, secondhand, threadbare, worn, worn to a thread, worn to a shadow, worn to the stump, worn to rags, reduced, reduced to a skeleton, far gone, tacky, decayed, moth-eaten, worm-eaten, mildewed, rusty, moldy, spotted, seedy, time-worn, moss-grown, discolored, effete, wasted, crumbling, moldering, rotten, cankered, blighted, tainted, depraved, decrepid, decrepit, broke, busted, broken, out of commission, hors de combat, out of action, broken down, done, done for, done up, worn out, used up, finished, beyond saving, fit for the dust hole, fit for the wastepaper basket, past work, at a low ebb, in a bad way, on one's last legs, undermined, deciduous, nodding to its fall, tottering, past cure, fatigued, retrograde, deleterious, out of the frying pan into the fire, agrescit medendo, what a falling off was there!.Concavity
N concavity, depression, dip, hollow, hollowness, indentation, intaglio, cavity, dent, dint, dimple, follicle, pit, sinus, alveolus, lacuna, excavation, strip mine, trough, honeycomb, cup, basin, crater, punch bowl, cell, socket, valley, vale, dale, dell, dingle, combe, bottom, slade, strath, glade, grove, glen, cave, cavern, cove, grot, grotto, alcove, cul-de- sac, gully, arch, bay, excavator, sapper, miner, honeycomb (sponge), depressed, alveolate, calathiform, cup-shaped, dishing, favaginous, faveolate, favose, scyphiform, scyphose, concave, hollow, stove in, retiring, retreating, cavernous, porous, infundibul, infundibular, infundibuliform, funnel shaped, bell shaped, campaniform, capsular, vaulted, arched.Sponge
N sponge, honeycomb, network, frit, filter, sieve, net, screen (opening), cellular, spongy, spongious, honeycombed, alveolar, sintered, porous (opening).Opening
N opening, hole, foramen, puncture, perforation, fontanel, transforation, pinhole, keyhole, loophole, porthole, peephole, mousehole, pigeonhole, eye of a needle, eyelet, slot, opening, aperture, apertness, hiation, yawning, oscitancy, dehiscence, patefaction, pandiculation, chasm, embrasure, window, casement, abatjour, light, sky light, fan light, lattice, bay window, bow window, oriel, dormer, lantern, outlet, inlet, vent, vomitory, embouchure, orifice, mouth, sucker, muzzle, throat, gullet, weasand, wizen, nozzle, placket, portal, porch, gate, ostiary, postern, wicket, trapdoor, hatch, door, arcade, cellarway, driveway, gateway, doorway, hatchway, gangway, lich gate, way, path, thoroughfare, channel, passage, passageway, tube, pipe, water pipe, air pipe, vessel, tubule, canal, gut, fistula, adjutage, ajutage, ostium, smokestack, chimney, flue, tap, funnel, gully, tunnel, main, mine, pit, adit, shaft, gallery, alley, aisle, glade, vista, bore, caliber, pore, blind orifice, fulgurite, thundertube, porousness, porosity, sieve, cullender, colander, cribble, riddle, screen, honeycomb, apertion, perforation, piercing, terebration, empalement, pertusion, puncture, acupuncture, penetration, key, opener, master key, password, combination, passe- partout, open, perforated, perforate, wide open, ajar, unclosed, unstopped, oscitant, gaping, yawning, patent, tubular, cannular, fistulous, pervious, permeable, foraminous, vesicular, vasicular, porous, follicular, cribriform, honeycombed, infundibular, riddled, tubulous, tubulated, piped, tubate, opening, aperient, Int, open sesame!.For further exploring for "honeycomb" in Webster Dictionary Online