honey-dew

A bee collects honey-dew from a leaf.

Definition

Noun:
- A sweet, sticky substance: "honey-dew" refers to a sugary secretion produced by aphids, scale insects, and other plant-sucking insects, often found on leaves and stems of plants.
- A type of melon: Informally, "honey-dew" is short for "honeydew melon," a variety of melon (Cucumis melo) with sweet, green flesh and a smooth, pale rind.
- A sweet substance from plants: In botany, "honey-dew" can also refer to a sweet exudate from certain plants, such as the nectar of some flowers or the sap of certain trees.

Usage Examples

Noun (insect secretion):
- The leaves of the oak tree were covered in honey-dew, attracting ants and bees. (A sticky, sugary liquid left by insects.)
- Honey-dew from aphids can cause a black sooty mold to grow on plants. (The secretion promotes fungal growth.)
Noun (melon):
- I bought a ripe honey-dew at the market for dessert. (A sweet, green-fleshed melon.)
- Honey-dew is often used in fruit salads for its mild sweetness. (A type of melon.)
Noun (plant exudate):
- The pine tree dripped honey-dew from its needles in the morning. (A sweet, sticky liquid from the tree itself.)

Advanced Usage

"to produce honey-dew": to secrete a sugary liquid.
- The scale insects produce honey-dew that attracts wasps. (The insects excrete a sweet substance.)
"honey-dew residue": the sticky film left by insect secretions.
- Wipe the honey-dew residue off the car windshield with soapy water. (The sticky substance from insects.)

Variants and Related Words

Honeydew melon (n): a specific fruit of the melon family.
- The honeydew melon is sweeter than cantaloupe. (A type of melon.)
Honeydew (n): a variant spelling without a hyphen, often used interchangeably.
- The honeydew on the leaves was sticky. (Same as honey-dew.)

Synonyms

Related Idioms