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Webster 1913 Edition

Hum

Hum

(hŭm)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Hummed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Humming
.]
[Of imitative origin; cf. G.
hummen
, D.
hommelen
. √15.]
1.
To make a low, prolonged sound, like that of a bee in flight; to drone; to murmur; to buzz;
as, a top
hums
.
P. Fletcher.
Still
humming
on, their drowsy course they keep.
Pope.
2.
To make a nasal sound, like that of the letter m prolonged, without opening the mouth, or articulating; to mumble in monotonous undertone; to drone.
The cloudy messenger turns me his back,
And
hums
.
Shakespeare
3.
[Cf.
Hum
,
interj
.]
To make an inarticulate sound, like h’m, through the nose in the process of speaking, from embarrassment or a affectation; to hem.
4.
To express satisfaction by a humming noise.
Here the spectators
hummed
.
Trial of the Regicides.
☞ Formerly the habit of audiences was to express gratification by humming and displeasure by hissing.
5.
To have the sensation of a humming noise;
as, my head
hums
, – a pathological condition
.

Hum

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To sing with shut mouth; to murmur without articulation; to mumble;
as, to
hum
a tune
.
2.
To express satisfaction with by humming.
3.
To flatter by approving; to cajole; to impose on; to humbug.
[Colloq. & Low]

Hum

,
Noun.
1.
A low monotonous noise, as of bees in flight, of a swiftly revolving top, of a wheel, or the like; a drone; a buzz.
The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy
hums
.
Shakespeare
2.
Any inarticulate and buzzing sound
; as:
(a)
The confused noise of a crowd or of machinery, etc., heard at a distance;
as, the
hum
of industry
.
(b)
A buzz or murmur, as of approbation.
Macaulay.
3.
An imposition or hoax.
4.
[Cf.
Hem
,
int
erj.
]
An inarticulate nasal sound or murmur, like h'm, uttered by a speaker in pause from embarrassment, affectation, etc.
These shrugs, these
hums
and ha's.
Shakespeare
5.
[Perh. so called because strongly intoxicating.]
A kind of strong drink formerly used.
[Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
Venous hum
.
See under
Venous
.

Hum

,
int
erj.
[Cf.
Hem
,
interj
.]
Ahem; hem; an inarticulate sound uttered in a pause of speech implying doubt and deliberation.
Pope.

Webster 1828 Edition

Hum

HUM

,
Verb.
I.
To utter the sound of bees; to buzz.
1.
To make an inarticulate buzzing sound.
The cloudy messenger turns me his back,
And hums--
2.
To pause in speaking, and make an audible noise like the humming bees.
He hummed and hawed.
3.
To make a dull, heavy noise like a drone.
Still humming, on their drowsy course they took.
4.
To applaud.

HUM

,
Verb.
T.
To sing in a low voice; as, to hum a tune.
1.
To cause to hum; to impose on.

HUM

,
Noun.
The noise of bees or insects.
1.
A low confused noise, as of crowds; as the busy hum of men.
2.
Any low dull noise.
3.
A low inarticulate sound, uttered by a speaker in a pause; as hums and haws.
4.
An expression of applause.

HUM

, exclam. A sound with a pause, implying doubt and deliberation.

Definition 2024

Hum

Hum

See also: hum, húm, and hùm

English

Proper noun

Hum

  1. A town in the central part of Istria, northwest Croatia, 7 km from Roč.

hum

hum

See also: Hum, húm, and hùm

English

Noun

hum ‎(plural hums)

  1. A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips closed.
  2. An often indistinct sound resembling human humming.
    They could hear a hum coming from the kitchen, and found the dishwasher on.
    • Shakespeare
      the shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums
  3. Busy activity, like the buzz of a beehive.
  4. (Britain, slang) unpleasant odour.
  5. (dated) An imposition or hoax; humbug.
  6. (obsolete) A kind of strong drink.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Beaumont and Fletcher to this entry?)
  7. A phenomenon, or collection of phenomena, involving widespread reports of a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming, rumbling, or droning noise not audible to all people.

Translations

See also

The Hum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

hum ‎(third-person singular simple present hums, present participle humming, simple past and past participle hummed)

  1. (intransitive) To make a sound from the vocal chords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed.
    We are humming happily along with the music.
  2. (transitive) To express by humming.
    to hum a tune
    The hazers ominously hummed "We shall overcome" while they paddled the unruly pledges
  3. (intransitive) To drone like certain insects naturally do in motion, or sounding similarly
    • 1922, Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room Chapter 2
      A slight gloom fell upon the table. Jacob was helping himself to jam; the postman was talking to Rebecca in the kitchen; there was a bee humming at the yellow flower which nodded at the open window.
  4. (intransitive) To buzz, be busily active like a beehive
    'The streets were humming with activity.
  5. (intransitive) To produce low sounds which blend continuously
  6. (Britain) To reek, smell bad.
    This room really hums — have you ever tried spring cleaning, mate?
  7. (Britain) To deceive, or impose on one by some story or device.
  8. (transitive, dated, slang) To flatter by approving; to cajole; to impose on; to humbug.

Derived terms

Related terms

Synonyms

Translations

Interjection

hum

  1. hmm; an inarticulate sound uttered in a pause of speech implying doubt and deliberation.
    • 1890, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four
      “'Hum!' said he. 'A fifth share! That is not very tempting.'
      “'It would come to fifty thousand apiece,' said I.

Anagrams

Albanian

Etymology

Unknown. Maybe from Proto-Indo-European *skew- ‎(“to cover, conceal”)

Noun

hum m (indefinite plural humi, definite singular huma)

  1. rough sea

Dutch

Etymology 1

jocular abbreviation of humeur (cfr.)

Noun

hum n ‎(plural hummen, diminutive hummetje n)

  1. (good) mood

Etymology 2

onomatopoeia

Alternative forms

Interjection

hum!

  1. uttering to attract attention, without literal meaning

Ngamo

Noun

hùm

  1. water

References

  • Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3: m- (2007, ISBN 9789004164123), page 201:
    […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
    (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Ngamo hùm [Schuh], […]

Portuguese

Article

hum m ‎(plural huns, feminine huma, feminine plural humas)

  1. Obsolete spelling of um

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *xъlmъ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /xûːm/

Noun

hȗm m ‎(Cyrillic spelling ху̑м)

  1. hillock
  2. barrow, tumulus (mound of earth raised over a grave)
Declension
Synonyms

Etymology 2

Unknown origin.

Noun

hum f ‎(Cyrillic spelling хум)

  1. (obsolete) arrogance
Synonyms

References

  • “hum” in Hrvatski jezični portal

Etymology

From Middle English hommen ‎(“make a murmuring sound to cover embarrassment”) later hummen ‎(“to buzz, drone”) (c.1420); akin to Dutch hommel ‎(“bumblebee”), Middle High German hummen ‎(“to hum”), probably ultimately of imitative origin.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhʌm/
  • Rhymes: -ʌm

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