# honour

Pronunciation: UK say "ON-uh" /ˈɒnə(ɹ)/; US say "ON-er" /ˈɑnɚ/

## Verb

1. To hold someone or something in high regard, or to show great respect for them, recognising their importance or spiritual value.
   - Simple: To respect someone or something very much, or to show great respect for them.
   - _Children are taught to honour their parents and grandparents._
   - _The memorial honours the men of the village who died in both world wars._
2. To give someone an award, title or privilege as a mark of respect.
   - Simple: To give someone a prize, a title or a special chance, to show respect.
   - _The university will honour three local teachers at its summer ceremony._
   - _The singer was honoured with a knighthood for services to music._
7. To keep to the terms of an agreement, treaty, promise, request or similar, acting as it requires.
   - Simple: To do what you promised, agreed or were asked to do.
   - _The company refused to honour the contract once prices began to rise._
   - _Most apps now honour the text size you choose in your phone's settings._
9. To pay out the sum due on a cheque, banker's draft or similar document when it is presented.
   - Simple: To pay the money that a cheque or similar paper asks for.
   - _The bank refused to honour the cheque because the account was empty._
   - _Her cheques had been honoured for months before anyone noticed the overdraft._

## Noun

3. An award, title or other mark of praise or respect, such as one given by the state to a citizen.
   - Simple: A prize, title or medal given to someone to show respect for what they have done.
   - _The scientist received an honour from the King for her work on vaccines._
   - _He was buried with full military honours._
4. A privilege that brings respect or distinction to the person who is given it.
   - Simple: Something special you are allowed to do or have, which makes you feel proud.
   - _It was a great honour to be asked to captain the side._
   - _We had the honour of meeting the Prime Minister at Downing Street._
5. The esteem in which a person is held: the respect and high regard others give them for their worth, usually their good character or success, rather than any particular award or title.
   - Simple: Great respect that people show someone, often because they are good or have done well.
   - _A minute's silence was held in honour of the firefighters who died._
   - _The old doctor was treated with great honour by everyone in the village._
6. Moral uprightness and nobility of character, together with the good reputation and dignity that come from being seen to have it.
   - Simple: Being honest, fair and good, and the good name and respect that this gives you.
   - _She turned down the bribe because her honour mattered more to her than money._
   - _He felt that the newspaper story had stained his family's honour._
8. A bachelor's degree of a higher standard than an ordinary or pass degree, in the UK awarded in classes such as a first or upper second; also the course leading to one.
   - Simple: A university degree of a higher level than an ordinary or pass degree, or the course you study to get it.
   - _She graduated with honours in chemistry from Edinburgh._
   - _He is reading for an honours degree in history at Leeds._
10. A person or thing whose excellence brings respect and fame to those connected with it.
   - Simple: A person or thing that makes others proud and brings them respect.
   - _She was an honour to her school and to everyone who had taught her._
   - _The restored cathedral is an honour to the city._
11. In golf, the right to hit first from the tee, which normally goes to the player or side that did best on the previous hole.
   - Simple: In golf, the right to take the first shot from the tee, before the other player.
   - _After winning the third hole, Rory had the honour on the fourth tee._
   - _It's your honour, so go ahead and tee off._
12. The privilege of being the one who goes first.
   - Simple: The special right to be the one who goes first.
   - _You found the path, so you can have the honours and lead the way._
   - _As our guest, you should have the honours and choose the first song._
14. In bridge, any of the five top cards from ace down to ten, especially in trumps; in some other games, any card from ace to jack.
   - Simple: In card games, one of the top cards: an ace, king, queen or jack, and in bridge also a ten.
   - _Holding only one honour in spades, he decided to pass._
   - _She opened the bidding with four honours in her hand._

## Interjection

13. Used as an oath to affirm that one is telling the truth, or to ask someone to answer on their honour. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Used to promise that you are telling the truth, or to ask someone to answer truthfully.

## Other meanings

- (noun) In mahjong, any of the dragon tiles or wind tiles.
- (noun) In feudal law, a great lordship held from the king, on which a number of lesser lordships and manors depended.
- (noun) In heraldry, the point at the centre of the upper half of a shield bearing a coat of arms.

## Origin

From Middle English honour, honor, from Anglo-Norman honour and Old French honor, from Latin honor. It replaced Middle English menske ("honour, dignity"), from Old Norse; the verb comes from Middle English honouren.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/honour (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).