honeymoon

honeymoon
\ \ [16] The word honeymoon first appeared in print in the middle of the 16th century. Richard Huloet in his Abecedarium Anglico Latinum 1552 defined it as ‘a term proverbially applied to such as be new married, which will not fall out at the first, but the one loueth the other at the beginning exceedingly, the likelihood of their exceeding love appearing to assuage, the which time the vulgar people call the honey moon’. His description suggests not only that the term had already been around for some time by the 1550s, but also that it was probably inspired by the notion that although married love was at first as sweet as honey, it soon waned like the moon.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Honeymoon — Hon ey*moon , n. 1. The first month after marriage. Addison. [1913 Webster] 2. A vacation taken together by a newly married couple, usually including a trip away from home. [PJC] 3. Hence: [fig.] Any initial period of harmony after two or more… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • honeymoon — ► NOUN 1) a holiday taken by a newly married couple. 2) an initial period of enthusiasm or goodwill. ► VERB ▪ spend a honeymoon. DERIVATIVES honeymooner noun. ORIGIN originally referring to affection waning like the moon, later denoting the first …   English terms dictionary

  • honeymoon — [hun′ē mo͞on΄] n. [as if < HONEY + MOON (? in reference to the waning of the affection of newlyweds), but ? folk etym. for ON hjūnōttsmānathr, lit., wedding night month] 1. the holiday or vacation spent together by a newly married couple 2. a… …   English World dictionary

  • Honeymoon — (engl., spr. hómumūn, »Honigmonat«), soviel wie Flitterwochen …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • honeymoon — (n.) 1540s, hony moone, but probably much older, indefinite period of tenderness and pleasure experienced by a newly wed couple, from HONEY (Cf. honey) (n.) in reference to the new marriage s sweetness, and MOON (Cf. moon) (n.) in reference to… …   Etymology dictionary

  • honeymoon — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ brief, short ▪ We had a brief honeymoon in Paris. ▪ long ▪ second ▪ After so many years of marriage, we re planning a second hone …   Collocations dictionary

  • Honeymoon — A honeymoon is the traditional holiday taken by newlyweds to celebrate their marriage in intimacy and seclusion. Today, honeymoons by Westerners are sometimes celebrated somewhere exotic or otherwise considered special and romantic.HistoryIn… …   Wikipedia

  • honeymoon — I UK [ˈhʌnɪˌmuːn] / US [ˈhʌnɪˌmun] noun [countable] Word forms honeymoon : singular honeymoon plural honeymoons * 1) a holiday that two people take after they get married on (our/their/your etc) honeymoon: Where are you going on your honeymoon?… …   English dictionary

  • honeymoon — n. 1) to go on a honeymoon 2) to spend a honeymoon (they spent their honeymoon in Hawaii) * * * [ hʌnɪmuːn] to go on a honeymoon to spend a honeymoon (they spent their honeymoon in Hawaii) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • honeymoon — hon|ey|moon1 [ˈhʌnimu:n] n [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: honey + moon; because the moon appears to get smaller, like the love of some newly married people] 1.) a holiday taken by two people who have just got married on your honeymoon ▪ We went to… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • honeymoon — hon|ey|moon1 [ hʌni,mun ] noun count * 1. ) a vacation that two people take after they get married: on (our/their/your etc.) honeymoon: Where are you going on your honeymoon? 2. ) the beginning of a period of time, when everything is pleasant and …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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