ˈhoney-suck Now only local.
Forms: 1 huniᵹsuge, hunisuge, -suce, 4–5 honysouke, 7– honey-suck.
[OE. huniᵹs{uacu}ge, -s{uacu}ce, f. huniᵹ honey + s{uacu}gan, s{uacu}can to suck; the ME. form represents the second of these.]
1. An earlier equivalent of the name honeysuckle (senses 1 and 2): used with the same laxity of application.
| c 725 Corpus Gloss. 1214 Ligustrum, huniᵹsuge. a 1100 Ags. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 298/23 Lugustrum, hunisuce. 14.. Voc. Ibid. 572/12 Cerifolium, honysouke. Ibid. 611/30 Serpillum, peletur vel honysouke. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. cccclxxvii. 1018 Medow Trefoile is called..of some Suckles, and Honisuckes. 1879 Britten & Holland Plant-n., Honey-suck. (1) Flowers of Trifolium pratense... (2) Lonicera Periclymenum. |
† b. = honeysuckle 1 b. Obs.
| 1388 Wyclif Matt. iii. 4 His mete was honysoukis, and hony of the wode. 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 593/24 Locusta, a honysouke. |
† 2. Honey ‘sucked’ or gathered by bees. Obs.
| 1608 Topsell Serpents (1658) 645 Then they [Bees] flye not far from their own homes, but sustain themselves with their own Honey-suck already provided. |