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hum

 - 6 dictionary results

hum

  [huhm] verb, hummed, hum⋅ming, noun, interjection
Use hum in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to make a low, continuous, droning sound.
2. to give forth an indistinct sound of mingled voices or noises.
3. to utter an indistinct sound in hesitation, embarrassment, dissatisfaction, etc.; hem.
4. to sing with closed lips, without articulating words.
5. to be in a state of busy activity: The household hummed in preparation for the wedding.
6. British Slang. to have a bad odor, as of stale perspiration.
–verb (used with object)
7. to sound, sing, or utter by humming: to hum a tune.
8. to bring, put, etc., by humming: to hum a child to sleep.
–noun
9. the act or sound of humming; an inarticulate or indistinct murmur; hem.
10. Audio. an unwanted low-frequency sound caused by power-line frequencies in any audio component.
–interjection
11. (an inarticulate sound uttered in contemplation, hesitation, dissatisfaction, doubt, etc.)
Origin:
1300–50; ME; ult. imit.; c. G hummen to hum; cf. humblebee

Synonyms:
5. bustle, buzz.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To hum
hum   (hŭm)   
v.   hummed, hum·ming, hums

v.   intr.

    1. To emit a continuous low droning sound like that of the speech sound (m) when prolonged.

    2. To emit the continuous droning sound of a bee on the wing; buzz.

    3. To give forth a low continuous drone blended of many sounds: The avenue hummed with traffic.

  2. To be in a state of busy activity.

  3. To produce a tune without opening the lips or forming words.

v.   tr.

  1. To sing (a tune) without opening the lips or forming words.

  2. Baseball To throw or pitch (a ball) very fast.

n.  

  1. The sound produced by humming.

  2. The act of humming.

interj.  Used to indicate hesitation, surprise, or displeasure.

[Middle English hummen, of imitative origin.]
hum'ma·ble adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

hum 
c.1374, hommen "make a murmuring sound to cover embarrassment," later hummen "to buzz, drone" (c.1420), probably of imitative origin. Sense of "sing with closed lips" is first attested c.1485; that of "be busy and active" is 1884, perhaps on analogy of a beehive. Humming-bird (1637) so called from sound made by the rapid vibration of its wings.
"There is a curious bird to see to, called a humming bird, no bigger then a great Beetle." [Thomas Morton, "New English Canaan," 1637]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: hum
Pronunciation: 'h&m
Function: noun
: a sound like that made by humming; especially : VENOUS HUM
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

hum (hŭm)
n.
A low, continuous murmur blended of many sounds.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

hum

(from Spanish pepino, "cucumber"), also called Hum (Serbo-Croatian: "hill"), or Haystack Hill, conical hill of residual limestone in a deeply eroded karst region. Pepino hills generally form on relatively flat-lying limestones that are jointed in large rectangles. In an alternating wet and dry climate, high areas become increasingly hard and resistant while low areas are subjected to greater erosion and solution. In some places, such as the Kwangsi area of China, pepino hills may have almost vertical sides and may be riddled with caves. Pepino hills develop to greater heights in regions having subtropical or equatorial rainfall and are then generally called mogotes (Spanish: "hillocks").

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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