English Explanatory Dictionary

melliferous

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Of a plant or its parts: bearing any substance (such as nectar or pollen) which is collected by bees to produce honey.
  2. Producing honey.
  3. Honeyed, sweet.

Pronunciation

/mɪˈlɪfəɹəs/ /mɪˈlɪfɹəs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-melliferous.wav /məˈlɪfəɹəs/ /məˈlɪfɹəs/

Word forms

melliferous more melliferous most melliferous

Etymology

PIE word *mélit Learned borrowing from Latin mellifer (“honey-bearing, honey-producing, melliferous”) + English -ous (suffix forming adjectives denoting the presence of a quality, typically in abundance). Mellifer is derived from mel (“honey”) (plural form mella; ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mélit (“honey”)) + -fer (suffix meaning ‘bearing, bringing, carrying’).

Synonyms

mellific dulcet nectareal nectarean nectarine nectarous saccharine sappy sugary sweet sweetsome

Related words

diabetes mellitus meliphagid meliphagous melittophilous melittophily mellaginous mellific mellifluence mellifluous mellifluously mellifluousness melliloquent mellivorous
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