honour

 
Pronunciation: /ˈɒnə/
(US honor)

noun

  • 1 [mass noun] high respect; great esteem: his portrait hangs in the place of honour
  • [in singular] a person or thing that brings esteem: you are an honour to our profession
  • (His, Your, etc. Honour) a title of respect or form of address given to a circuit judge, a US mayor, and (in Irish or rustic speech) any person of rank.
  • 2the quality of knowing and doing what is morally right: I must as a matter of honour avoid any taint of dishonesty
  • dated a woman’s chastity or her reputation for being chaste: she died defending her honour
  • 3something regarded as a rare opportunity and bringing pride and pleasure; a privilege: Mrs Young had the honour of being received by the Queen
  • a thing conferred as a distinction, especially an official award for bravery or achievement: the highest military honours
  • (honours) a special distinction for proficiency in an examination: she passed with honours
  • (honours) a course of degree studies more specialized than for an ordinary pass: [as modifier]: an honours degree in mathematics
  • Golf the right of driving off first, having won the previous hole: Kyle had the honour at the last hole
  • 4 Bridge an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten.
  • (honours) possession in one’s hand of at least four of the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of trumps, or of all four aces in no trumps, for which a bonus is scored.
  • (in whist) an ace, king, queen, or jack of trumps.

verb

[with object]
  • 1regard with great respect: Joyce has now learned to honour her father’s memory (as adjective honoured) an honoured guest
  • pay public respect to: talented writers were honoured at a special ceremony
  • 2fulfil (an obligation) or keep (an agreement): make sure the franchisees honour the terms of the contract
  • accept (a bill) or pay (a cheque) when due: the bank informed him that the cheque would not be honoured

Phrases

do the honours

informal perform a social duty for others, especially the serving of food or drink to a guest: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do the honours.’ She reached for the teapot and poured

honour bright

British dated on my honour: I’ll never do it again, honour bright, I won’t
[from Thomas Moore's Tom Cribb's Memorial to Congress (1819)]

honours are even

British there is equality in the contest: they are meeting in the final for the fifth time with honours even

in honour bound

another way of saying on one's honour below

in honour of

as a celebration of or expression of respect for: a dinner given in honour of Nevinson

on one's honour

under a moral obligation: they are on their honour as gentlemen not to cheat
(on (or upon) my honour) used as an expression of sincerity: I promise on my honour

there's honour among thieves

proverb dishonest people may have certain standards of behaviour which they will respect.

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French onor (noun), onorer (verb), from Latin honos, honor

The preposition upon has the same core meaning as the preposition on. However, in modern English upon tends to be restricted to more formal contexts or to established phrases and idioms, such as once upon a time and row upon row of empty seats.

Spelling help

Remember that honour ends with -our (the spelling honor is American).