English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhɒ.və(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -ɒvə(r)
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhʌ.vɚ/
• Rhymes: -ʌvə(r)

Verb

a hummingbird, hovering

hover ‎(third-person singular simple present hovers, present participle hovering, simple past and past participle hovered)

1. To float in the air.
   • 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:

     Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.

   The hummingbird hovered by the plant.‎

2. To linger in one place.
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     The neighborhood, to our ears, seemed haunted by approaching footsteps; and what between the dead body of the captain on the parlor floor, and the thought of that detestable blind beggar hovering near at hand, and ready to return, there were moments when, as the saying goes, I jumped in my skin for terror.

   The strange man hovered outside the gents.‎

   This time, I hovered between Labour and Liberal Democrat.‎

3. To waver, or be uncertain.
4. (computing) To place the cursor over a hyperlink or icon without clicking.

   A tooltip appears when you hover over this link.‎

Translations

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Unknown

Noun

hover ‎(plural hovers)

1. A cover; a shelter; a protection.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Carew to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Charles Kingsley to this entry?)

Scots

Verb

hover ‎(third-person singular present hovers, present participle hoverin, past hovert, past participle hovert)

1. to hover
2. to pause (in hesitation)