# honeydew

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhʌnɪdjuː/ · frequency rank #59,450

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. A sweet liquid substance resembling the substance mentioned in sense 1, such as honey, nectar, or manna in the Bible.
3. A blackish mould (often called sooty mould) produced by fungi of the order Dothideales, feeding on the substance mentioned in sense 1.
4. In full honeydew tobacco: a fine sort of tobacco moistened with a sweet substance (originally molasses).
5. 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”).
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”).
7. Something that is enjoyable or pleasant.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/honeydew