adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈhʌnɪdjuː/
Received-Pronunciation:/-dʒuː/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈhʌniˌd(j)u/
CMU ARPABET:HH AH1 N IY0 D UW2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of a light green colour, like the flesh of some honeydew melons.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: melligo
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A sweet liquid substance resembling the substance mentioned in sense 1, such as honey, nectar, or manna in the Bible.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ambrosia
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A blackish mould (often called sooty mould) produced by fungi of the order Dothideales, feeding on the substance mentioned in sense 1.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
In full honeydew tobacco: a fine sort of tobacco moistened with a sweet substance (originally molasses).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Ellipsis of honeydew melon (“a melon from the Cucumis melo Inodorus cultivar group, with sweet, light green or white flesh and a smooth greenish-white or yellow rind”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Ellipsis of honeydew melon (“a melon from the Cucumis melo Inodorus cultivar group, with sweet, light green or white flesh and a smooth greenish-white or yellow rind”).
A light green colour, like the flesh of some honeydew melons.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Something that is enjoyable or pleasant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
the fruit of a variety of winter melon vine; a large smooth greenish-white melon with pale green flesh
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: honeydew melon
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: winter melon
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مغثر
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Basque:
ezti-ihintz
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Belarusian:
мядзвяная падзь
(mjadzvjanaja padzʹ)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Belarusian:
падзь
(padzʹ)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Bulgarian:
ма́на
(mána)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Catalan:
mel de melada
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Chinese Mandarin:
蜜露
(mìlù)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Czech:
medovice
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Danish:
honningdug
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Dutch:
honingdauw
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Esperanto:
mielroso
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Finnish:
mesikaste
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
French:
miellat
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
German:
Honigtau
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
German:
Meltau
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Hebrew:
טל דבש
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Hungarian:
mézharmat
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Icelandic:
hunangsdögg
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Italian:
melata
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Japanese:
甘露
(kanro)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Korean:
감로
(gamno)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Lithuanian:
ãmalas
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Lithuanian:
lipčius
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Lithuanian:
medaus rasa
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Low German:
honnigdau
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Macedonian:
ме́длика
(médlika)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Macedonian:
ме́дена ро́са
(médena rósa)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Malay:
madu serangga
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Norwegian Bokmål:
honningdugg
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Persian:
عسلک
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Polish:
spadź
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Polish:
rosa miodowa
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Portuguese:
melada
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Romanian:
mană
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Russian:
медвя́ная роса́
(medvjánaja rosá)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Russian:
падь
(padʹ)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Spanish:
ligamaza
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Spanish:
melado
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Spanish:
mielada
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Spanish:
mielato
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Spanish:
rocío de miel
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Spanish:
rocío melifluo
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Swedish:
honungsdagg
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Ukrainian:
ме́дяна́ роса́
(médjaná rosá)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Ukrainian:
медвя́на роса́
(medvjána rosá)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Ukrainian:
падь
(padʹ)
— sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves, etc., by insects feeding on plant sap, or by fungi
Arabic:
مَنّ
(mann)
— sweet liquid substance resembling the substance mentioned in sense 1
Bulgarian:
ма́на
(mána)
— blackish mould (often called sooty mould) produced by some fungi feeding on the substance mentioned in sense 1
