Etymology

honeysuckle

H4O1N1E1Y4S1U1C3K5L1E1

Today it means: Any of the many species of arching shrubs and climbing vines of the genus Lonicera in the Caprifoliaceae family, many with sweet-smelling, bell-shaped flowers. Full definition →

Middle English honysokel ← Old English huniġsūce
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The story

  1. Old English · derived fromhuniġsūce
  2. Middle English · derived fromhonysoke
  3. Middle English · inherited fromhonysokel
  4. English todayhoneysuckle

From Middle English honysokel, honisokel, honysocle, hunisuccle, perhaps an alteration of Middle English honysoke, honysouke (“honeysuckle”) (whence honeysuck), from Old English huniġsūce, huniġsūge (“honeysuckle”); equivalent to honey + suck + -le, or honeysuck + -le.

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishhonysoke all →

honeysuck

Old Englishhuniġsūce all →

honeysuck

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.