• IPA: /ˈhʌniːkəʊm/

honeycomb (plural honeycombs)

1. A structure of hexagonal cells made by bees primarily of wax, to hold their larvae and for storing the honey to feed the larvae and to feed themselves during winter.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Proverbs 16:24 ↗:

     Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

2. (by extension) Any structure resembling a honeycomb.

   The wood porch was a honeycomb of termite tunnels before we replaced it.

3. (construction) Voids left in concrete resulting from failure of the mortar to effectively fill the spaces among coarse aggregate particles.
4. (aviation) Manufactured material used manufacture light, stiff structural components using a sandwich design.
5. (solar cell) The texture of the surface of a solar cell, intended to increase its surface area and capture more sunlight.
6. (geometry) A space-filling packing of polytopes in 3- or higher-dimensional space.

• French: rayon de miel, rayon de ruche, alvéole d’abeille, alvéole
• German: Wabe, Bienenwabe, Honigwabe
• Italian: favo, cella, nido d'api, nido
• Portuguese: favo
• Russian: со́ты
• Spanish: panal

• Russian: со́ты

honeycomb (honeycombs, present participle honeycombing; past and past participle honeycombed)

1. To riddle something with holes, especially in such a pattern.

   Termites will honeycomb a porch made of untreated pine.