See Also: honour(1)(dictionary)
honour(2)(dictionary)
Legion of Honour(encyclopedia)
Companion of Honour, the(dictionary)
honour 1, noun(dictionary)
honour 2, verb(dictionary)
maid of honour(dictionary)
matron of honour(dictionary)
roll of honour(dictionary)

honour(1) (iou)



honour noun. Also *honor. ME.
[Anglo-Norman anur, anour, Old French (h)onor, (h)onur, earlier enor (mod. honneur), from Latin honor, honor-: see -OUR.]
High respect, esteem, deferential admiration; an expression of this; glory, credit, reputation, good name. ME.
R. Bolt Your majesty does my house more honour than I fear my household can bear. M. Ignatieff Family honour could be rebuilt: father's debts could be paid off.
b. spec. The chastity or purity of a woman; a woman's reputation for this. LME.
Shakespeare Tempest Till thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child.
Nobleness of mind or spirit; magnanimity; uprightness; adherence to what is due or correct according to some conventional or accepted standard of conduct. ME.
b. A promise, an assurance. arch. M17.
Exalted rank or position; distinction. ME.
S. Morley I must claim the honour of being one of his first stage directors.
b. (Honour.) With possess.: a title of respect given to a County Court etc. judge, a US mayor, and (now only in Irish speech) to any person of rank. M16.
A thing conferred or done as a mark of respect or distinction, esp. a title of rank. ME.
R. L. Fox He was promptly recognised as a ruler of the Thessalians, a remarkable honour for an outsider. K. M. E. Murray It was almost the only royal Birthday honour of which the newspapers had approved.
b. A bow or curtsy. M16-E19.
c. In pl. Civilities or courtesies rendered to a guest etc. Chiefly in do the honours. M17.
d. In pl. A special distinction for outstanding proficiency in an examination; in higher education, a degree or course of degree studies more specialized than that for an ordinary degree. L18.
e. A privilege, a special right; spec. in Golf, the right of driving off first. L19.
E. Crankshaw His was the honour of discovering the young Turgenev in 1847.
A source or cause of distinction; a person who or thing which does credit to another. ME.
I. Maclaren You are an honour to our profession.
Law. A seigniory of several manors under one baron or lord paramount. obsolete exc. Hist. ME.
Cards. In whist, any of the ace, king, queen, and jack of trumps; in bridge, any of these and the ten also, or the four aces at no trumps. M17.
Phrases: affair of honour: see AFFAIR 1. code of honour the rules forming a conventional standard of conduct. Companion of Honour: see COMPANION noun1. debt of honour: see DEBT noun. field of honour: see FIELD noun. funeral honours observances of respect at a funeral. give the honour of the flag: see FLAG noun4. guest of honour: see GUEST noun 1. honour bright interjection (colloq.) protesting one's sincerity. honours are even the contest is equal. honours of war privileges granted to a capitulating force, e.g. that of marching out with colours flying. in honour bound under a moral obligation (to do). in honour of as a celebration of, as an expression of respect or admiration for. lap of honour: see LAP noun3. last honours = funeral honours above. law of honour = code of honour above. Legion of Honour: see LEGION noun. maid of honour: see MAID noun. matron of honour: see MATRON noun. military honours marks of respect paid by troops at the burial of a soldier, to royalty, etc. on my honour, upon my honour interjection protesting one's sincerity. on one's honour under a moral obligation (to do). parole of honour: see PAROLE noun & adjective 2(a). point of honour: see POINT noun1. roll of honour: see ROLL noun1. upon my honour: see on my honour above. word of honour: see WORD noun.
Comb.: honour point Heraldry the point halfway between the top of a shield and the fesse point; honours course a course at a university etc. leading to an honours degree; honours degree (a course leading to) a degree with honours; honours list (a) a list of successful candidates in an examination for an honours degree; (b) a list of people awarded honours by the British monarch, as at New Year; honours school a branch of study at a university etc. in which an honours degree may be taken; honour system a system of examinations etc. without supervision, relying on the honour of those concerned; honour-trick Bridge = quick trick s.v. QUICK adjective.