honeycomb
n.n. a structure made of many small, hexagonal cells. You see this in the nests of bees, or in some types of stone or metal used in buildings.
n. a structure consisting of a cluster of hexagonal cells, typically found in the nests of social bees or in certain types of cellular materials.
The bees built a perfect honeycomb in the corner of the hive.
Engineers used a honeycomb structure for the aircraft's wing to make it both strong and light.
The architect designed the facade using a honeycomb pattern, which not only mimicked the natural geometry of the hive but also provided superior acoustic insulation for the interior.
The noun is derived from Middle English hony comb, from Old English huniġcamb, from huniġ (“honey”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kn̥h₂ónks (“honey”)) + camb (“comb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵómbʰos (“peg; tooth; row of teeth”)). The English word is analysable as honey + comb. The Oxford English Dictionary posits that the arrangement of several plates of wax “hanging parallel to each other from the roof of the hive suggests a comb with its teeth”. The verb is derived from the noun.