Word
hon
Phoneticshon
US/ˈhɑn/
UK/hˈɒn/
Definition
n. a short, informal way of saying 'honey' to a partner, friend, or family member.
n. a clipped form of 'honey' used as a term of endearment. Common in spoken American English, particularly in the South.
Examples
“Can you pass me the keys, hon?”
“The waitress smiled and asked, 'What can I get for you, hon?' as she handed us the menus.”
“While intended as a gesture of warmth in certain dialects, addressing a stranger as 'hon' in a formal business setting may be interpreted as a breach of professional etiquette.”
Examples
simple
“Can you pass me the keys, hon?”
contextual
“The waitress smiled and asked, 'What can I get for you, hon?' as she handed us the menus.”
complex
“While intended as a gesture of warmth in certain dialects, addressing a stranger as 'hon' in a formal business setting may be interpreted as a breach of professional etiquette.”
Etymology
An surname of unexplained English origin, or borrowed from Cantonese 韓 /韩 (hon4) or Hakka 韓 /韩 (Hòn).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/hon