Shortened from honey.

The transgender slang sense derives from the supposedly abundant use of "hon" as a term of address by older male-to-female transgender people, presumably as a way to verbally affect a femininity they are otherwise perceived by some to lack (due to not passing well), and is especially associated with the cliché phrase "you look great, hon".

• enPR: hŭn, IPA: /hʌn/

hon (plural hons)

1. (mostly as a term of address) honey, sweetheart, a term of endearment; (Southern US) a friendly term of address.

   Hey, hon! How was your day at work?

2. (tttt, derogatory) A trans woman who does not pass; a clocky trans woman.

   Antonyms: passoid

   This youngshit mogs me: I'm such a hon.

• French: hon

The laugh probably originated as a parody of French singer and actor Maurice Chevalier (1888–1972) who was noted for his strong accent in English, and does not represent a typical French laugh. The stereotype was popularized in Internet memes in the mid-2000s and 2010s.

• IPA: /hɔ̃/

1. (humorous) Representing a stereotypical French laugh.

   Hon hon hon, oui oui baguette!

   • 2020 May 28, “The sex scandals, walkouts and boos of Cannes Film Festival”, in New York Post‎^{[https://web.archive.org/web/20220818143929/https://nypost.com/2020/05/28/the-sex-scandals-walkouts-and-boos-of-cannes-film-festival/]}, New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN ↗, →OCLC ↗, archived from the original ↗ on 2022-08-18:

     What cinephiles have missed most this spring are the cries of "hon hon hon!" — the bitchy sound of French laughter — bellowing from the Côte d'Azur.

   • 2023 August 18, Kyle Buchanan, “Uma Thurman’s ’Red, White & Royal Blue’ Accent Is One to Savor”, in The New York Times‎^{[https://web.archive.org/web/20230922170856/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/18/movies/uma-thurman-red-white-royal-blue-accent.html]}, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN ↗, →OCLC ↗, archived from the original ↗ on 2023-09-22:

     [Ridley] Scott once said that forcing French accents on the stars of "The Last Duel" would have been "a disaster," but on that count, I beg to differ. Imagine Ben Affleck winding up to crucial lines with a snooty "a-hon-hon-hon!" Now that you have, you won't want to go without.

• (Ireland) IPA: /hmɒn/, /hɒn/, [m̥ɑn]

1. (Irish, slang); (typically) cheering a sports team, especially a GAA team; exhortation or encouragement come on; congratulations well done, bravo.
   • 2016 August 17, Jennifer Dollard [https://www.todayfm.com/AV-Undercover:-Steve-N-Seagulls-cover-Beastie-Boys-Sabotage "Seagulls cover Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage'"] Today FM:

     We're not normally impressed by this kind of stuff but h'on the lads! This is pretty good.

hon (plural hons)

1. Alternative form of hoon

hon

1. (British, politics) Honourable (in the titles of Members of Parliament)

1. (sports) Abbreviation of Honduras