1. [n]  a sweet yellow liquid produced by bees
2. [n]  a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
3. [adj]  having the color of honey
4. [v]  sweeten with honey

1. \Hon"ey\, n. [OE. honi, huni, AS. hunig; akin to OS.
   honeg, D. & G. honig, OHG. honag, honang, Icel. hunang, Sw.
   h[*a]ning, Dan. honning, cf. Gr. ? dust, Skr. kaa grain.]
   1. A sweet viscid fluid, esp. that collected by bees from
      flowers of plants, and deposited in the cells of the
      honeycomb.
   
   2. That which is sweet or pleasant, like honey.
   
            The honey of his language.            --Shak.
   
   3. Sweet one; -- a term of endearment. --Chaucer.
   
            Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus. --Shak.
   
   Note: Honey is often used adjectively or as the first part of
         compound; as, honeydew or honey dew; honey guide or
         honeyguide; honey locust or honey-locust.
   
   {Honey ant} (Zo["o]l.), a small ant ({Myrmecocystus
      melliger}), found in the Southwestern United States, and
      in Mexico, living in subterranean formicares. There are
      larger and smaller ordinary workers, and others, which
      serve as receptacles or cells for the storage of honey,
      their abdomens becoming distended to the size of a
      currant. These, in times of scarcity, regurgitate the
      honey and feed the rest.
   
   {Honey badger} (Zo["o]l.), the ratel.
   
   {Honey bear}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Kinkajou}.
   
   {Honey buzzard} (Zo["o]l.), a bird related to the kites, of
      the genus {Pernis}. The European species is {P. apivorus};
      the Indian or crested honey buzzard is {P. ptilorhyncha}.
      They feed upon honey and the larv[ae] of bees. Called also
      {bee hawk}, {bee kite}.
   
   {Honey creeper} (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of small,
      bright, colored, passerine birds of the family
      {C[oe]rebid[ae]}, abundant in Central and South America.
   
   
   {Honey easter} (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of small
      passerine birds of the family {Meliphagid[ae]}, abundant
      in Australia and Oceania; -- called also {honeysucker}.
   
   {Honey flower} (Bot.), an evergreen shrub of the genus
      {Melianthus}, a native of the Cape of Good Hope. The
      flowers yield much honey.
   
   {Honey guide} (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of small
      birds of the family {Indicatorid[ae]}, inhabiting Africa
      and the East Indies. They have the habit of leading
      persons to the nests to wild bees. Called also
      {honeybird}, and {indicator}.
   
   {Honey harvest}, the gathering of honey from hives, or the
      honey which is gathered. --Dryden.
   
   {Honey kite}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Honey buzzard} (above).
   
   {Honey locust} (Bot.), a North American tree ({Gleditschia
      triacanthos}), armed with thorns, and having long pods
      with a sweet pulp between the seeds.
   
   {Honey month}. Same as {Honeymoon}.
   
   {Honey weasel} (Zo["o]l.), the ratel.
   
   
   
   

2. \Hon"ey\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Honeyed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Honeying}.]
   To be gentle, agreeable, or coaxing; to talk fondly; to use
   endearments; also, to be or become obsequiously courteous or
   complimentary; to fawn. ``Honeying and making love.'' --Shak.
   
         Rough to common men, But honey at the whisper of a
         lord.                                    --Tennyson.
   
   

3. \Hon"ey\, v. t.
   To make agreeable; to cover or sweeten with, or as with,
   honey.
   
         Canst thou not honey me with fluent speech? --Marston.
   
   

(1.) Heb. ya'ar, occurs only 1 Sam. 14:25, 27, 29; Cant. 5:1, where it denotes the honey of bees. Properly the word signifies a forest or copse, and refers to honey found in woods.

(2.) Nopheth, honey that drops (Ps. 19:10; Prov. 5:3; Cant. 4:11).

(3.) Debash denotes bee-honey (Judg. 14:8); but also frequently a vegetable honey distilled from trees (Gen. 43:11; Ezek. 27:17). In these passages it may probably mean "dibs," or syrup of grapes, i.e., the juice of ripe grapes boiled down to one-third of its bulk.

(4.) Tsuph, the cells of the honey-comb full of honey (Prov. 16:24; Ps. 19:10).

(5.) "Wild honey" (Matt. 3:4) may have been the vegetable honey distilled from trees, but rather was honey stored by bees in rocks or in trees (Deut. 32:13; Ps. 81:16; 1 Sam. 14:25-29).

Canaan was a "land flowing with milk and honey" (Ex. 3:8). Milk and honey were among the chief dainties in the earlier ages, as they are now among the Bedawin; and butter and honey are also mentioned among articles of food (Isa. 7:15). The ancients used honey instead of sugar (Ps. 119:103; Prov. 24:13); but when taken in great quantities it caused nausea, a fact referred to in Prov. 25:16, 17 to inculcate moderation in pleasures. Honey and milk also are put for sweet discourse (Cant. 4:11).