melliferous

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melliferous

/mɪˈlɪfəɹəs/ UK
/mɪˈlɪfɹəs/ UK
/məˈlɪfəɹəs/ US
/məˈlɪfɹəs/ US

Rhymes with -ɪfəɹəs

Where it comes from

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’).

adjective more melliferous · most melliferous

Of a plant or its parts: bearing any substance (such as nectar or pollen) which is collected by bees to produce honey. [I]t vvas impoſſible to tell the Number of Palm-Trees, Olive-Trees, and Fig-trees [in Canaan]; beſides the Paſturage for raiſing innumerable Cattle; and vvas the great Market, for the Arabians and all the Countries about. And being Mountanous, could not but abound vvith Melliferous Plants of the beſ
broadly Producing honey. The Hymenoptera belonging to the melliferous or honey-collecting division of the Aculeata, are known by the peculiar conformation of the hind feet, of which the first joint is compressed and extended into the form of a square plate, and provided on its inside with brush-like tufts; these organs are
Similar: mellific
figuratively Honeyed, sweet. melliferous music
Similar: dulcet, nectareal, nectarean, nectarine, nectarous, saccharine, sappy, sugary, sweet, sweetsome

Translations

Every language

adj of a plant or its parts: bearing any substance which is collected by bees to produce honey

Español	melífero, melífico
Português	melífero
Français	mellifère
Deutsch	honigend, honigproduzierend
Italiano	mellifero, mielifero
Română	melifer
Русский	медоно́сный medonósnyj

adj producing honey

Español	melífero, melífico
Português	melífero
Français	mellifère

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MLA

"melliferous." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/melliferous. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

melliferous. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/melliferous

Chicago

"melliferous." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/melliferous.

BibTeX

@misc{melliferous_2026,
  title = {melliferous},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/melliferous},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}