What is "honor"

Honor \Hon"or\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Honored; p. pr. & vb. n. Honoring.] [OE. honouren, onouren, OF. honorer, honourer, F. honorer, fr. L. honorare, fr. honor, n.]

1. To regard or treat with honor, esteem, or respect; to revere; to treat with deference and submission; when used of the Supreme Being, to reverence; to adore; to worship.

   Honor thy father and thy mother.
   --Ex. xx. 1

2. That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.
   --John v. 2

3. It is a custom More honor'd in the breach than the observance.
   --Shak.

   2. To dignify; to raise to distinction or notice; to bestow honor upon; to elevate in rank or station; to ennoble; to exalt; to glorify; hence, to do something to honor; to treat in a complimentary manner or with civility.

   Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighten to honor.
   --Esther vi. 9.

   The name of Cassius honors this corruption.
   --Shak.

   3. (Com.) To accept and pay when due; as, to honora bill of exchange.

Honor \Hon"or\ ([o^]n"[~e]r), n. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.] [Written also honour.]

1. Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence.

   A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country.
   --Matt. xiii. 57.

2. That which rightfully attracts esteem, respect, or consideration; self-respect; dignity; courage; fidelity; especially, excellence of character; high moral worth; virtue; nobleness; specif., in men, integrity; uprightness; trustworthness; in women, purity; chastity.

   If she have forgot Honor and virtue.
   --Shak.

   Godlike erect, with native honor clad.
   --Milton.

3. A nice sense of what is right, just, and true, with course of life correspondent thereto; strict conformity to the duty imposed by conscience, position, or privilege.

   Say, what is honor? 'T is the finest sense Of justice which the human mind can frame, Intent each lurking frailty to disclaim, And guard the way of life from all offense Suffered or done.
   --Wordsworth.

   I could not love thee, dear, so much, Loved I not honor more.
   --Lovelace.

4. That to which esteem or consideration is paid; distinguished position; high rank. ``Restored me to my honors.''
   --Shak.

   I have given thee . . . both riches, and honor.
   --1 Kings iii. 13.

   Thou art clothed with honor and majesty.
   --Ps. civ. 1.

5. Fame; reputation; credit.

   Some in theiractions do woo, and affect honor and reputation.
   --Bacon.

   If my honor is meant anything distinct from conscience, 't is no more than a regard to the censure and esteem of the world.
   --Rogers.

6. A token of esteem paid to worth; a mark of respect; a ceremonial sign of consideration; as, he wore an honor on his breast; military honors; civil honors. ``Their funeral honors.''
   --Dryden.

7. A cause of respect and fame; a glory; an excellency; an ornament; as, he is an honor to his nation.

8. A title applied to the holders of certain honorable civil offices, or to persons of rank; as, His Honor the Mayor. See Note under Honorable.

9. (Feud. Law) A seigniory or lordship held of the king, on which other lordships and manors depended.
   --Cowell.

10. pl. Academic or university prizes or distinctions; as, honors in classics.

11. pl. (Whist) The ace, king, queen, and jack of trumps. The ten and nine are sometimes called Dutch honors.
    --R. A. Proctor.

    Affair of honor, a dispute to be decided by a duel, or the duel itself.

    Court of honor, a court or tribunal to investigate and decide questions relating to points of honor; as a court of chivalry, or a military court to investigate acts or omissions which are unofficerlike or ungentlemanly in their nature.

    Debt of honor, a debt contracted by a verbal promise, or by betting or gambling, considered more binding than if recoverable by law.

    Honor bright! An assurance of truth or fidelity. [Colloq.]

    Honor court (Feudal Law), one held in an honor or seignory.

    Honor point. (Her.) See Escutcheon.

    Honors of war (Mil.), distinctions granted to a vanquished enemy, as of marching out from a camp or town armed, and with colors flying.

    Law of honor or Code of honor, certain rules by which social intercourse is regulated among persons of fashion, and which are founded on a regard to reputation.
    --Paley.

    Maid of honor, a lady of rank, whose duty it is to attend the queen when she appears in public.

    On one's honor, on the pledge of one's honor; as, the members of the House of Lords in Great Britain, are not under oath, but give their statements or verdicts on their honor.

    Point of honor, a scruple or nice distinction in matters affecting one's honor; as, he raised a point of honor.

    To do the honors, to bestow honor, as on a guest; to act as host or hostess at an entertainment. ``To do the honors and to give the word.''
    --Pope.

    To do one honor, to confer distinction upon one.

    To have the honor, to have the privilege or distinction.

    Word of honor, an engagement confirmed by a pledge of honor.

c.1200, "glory, renown, fame earned," from Anglo-French honour, Old French honor (Modern French honneur), from Latin honorem (nominative honos, later honor) "honor, dignity, office, reputation," of unknown origin. Till 17c., honour and honor were equally frequent; the former now preferred in England, the latter in U.S. by influence of Noah Webster's spelling reforms. Meaning "a woman's chastity" first attested late 14c. Honors "distinction in scholarship" attested by 1782. Honor roll in the scholastic sense attested by 1872. To do the honors (1650s) originally meant the customary civilities and courtesies at a public entertainment, etc.

mid-13c., honuren, "to do honor to," from Old French honorer, from Latin honorare, from honor (see honor (n.)). In the commercial sense of "accept a bill due, etc.," it is recorded from 1706. Related: Honored; honoring.\n\nA custom more honoured in the breach than the observance. Whoever will look up the passage (Hamlet I. iv. 16) will see that it means, beyond a doubt, a custom that one deserves more honour for breaking than for keeping: but it is often quoted in the wrong & very different sense of a dead letter or rule more often broken than kept.

[Fowler]

n. 1 (context uncountable English) Recognition of importance or value; respect; veneration (of someone, usually for being morally upright and/or competent). 2 (context uncountable English) The state of being morally upright, honest, noble, virtuous, and magnanimous; excellence of character; the perception of such a state; favourable reputation; dignity. 3 (context countable English) A token of praise or respect; something that represents praiseworthiness or respect, such as a prize or award given by the state to a citizen. 4 A privilege. 5 (context in the plural English) The privilege of going first. 6 # (context golf English) The right to play one's ball before one's opponent. 7 A cause of respect and fame; a glory; an excellency; an ornament. 8 (context feudal law English) A seigniory or lordship held of the king, on which other lordships and manors depended. 9 (context heraldry countable English) The center point of the upper half of an armorial escutcheon. (qualifier: Compare ''honour point''.) 10 (context countable card games English) In bridge, an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten especially of the trump suit. In some other games, an ace, king, queen or jack. 11 (context in the plural English) (Courses for) an honours degree: a university qualification of the highest rank. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To think of highly, to respect highly; to show respect for; to recognise the importance or spiritual value of. 2 (context transitive English) To conform to, abide by, act in accordance with (an agreement, treaty, promise, request, or the like). 3 (context transitive English) To confer (bestow) an honour or privilege upon (someone). 4 (context transitive English) To make payment in respect of (a cheque, banker's draft etc).

1. n. a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction; "an award for bravery" [syn: award, accolade, honour, laurels]

2. the state of being honored [syn: honour, laurels] [ant: dishonor]

3. the quality of being honorable and having a good name; "a man of honor" [syn: honour] [ant: dishonor]

4. a woman's virtue or chastity [syn: honour, purity]

1. v. bestow honor or rewards upon; "Today we honor our soldiers"; "The scout was rewarded for courageus action" [syn: honour, reward] [ant: dishonor]

2. show respect towards; "honor your parents!" [syn: respect, honour, abide by, observe] [ant: disrespect]

3. accept as pay; "we honor checks and drafts" [syn: honour] [ant: dishonor]

Honour is the quality of being honorable. Honor or honour may also refer to:

• His Honour, a pre-nominal honorific
• Honour (feudal land tenure)
• Honour (Sudermann play), an 1889 play by Hermann Sudermann
• Honour (Murray-Smith play), a 1995 play by Joanna Murray-Smith
• Honor (band), a Polish band
• Honor, Michigan, a village in the United States
• Huawei Honor, a brand of smartphone
• Honor, a high-valued card in
• Honors, in bridge scoring, a bonus for the holding of high-valued cards

Honor is a primarily feminine given name derived from the word " honor", taken from a Latin root word honos, honoris. It was a virtue name in use by the Puritans. It is still in occasional use in England, but is an extremely rare name in the United States, where it has never ranked among the top 1,000 names for girls or boys.

Honor was a Polish Rock Against Communism (RAC) band. Their lyrical themes are related to National Socialism, neopaganism and the white power skinhead movement. Until 1999, the band played typical RAC, and then moved to pagan metal music. In January 2002, vocalist Mariusz Szczerski was arrested for spreading neo-Nazism and antisemitism. After his death from a car accident in 2005, the band stopped playing. Honor is on the Anti-Defamation League List of Hate Music Groups.