Hum definition

Hum





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6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hum \Hum\ (h[u^]m), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Hummed}; p. pr. & vb.
     n. {Humming}.] [Of imitative origin; cf. G. hummen, D.
     hommelen. [root]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.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              Still humming on, their drowsy course they keep.
                                                    --Pope.
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     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The cloudy messenger turns me his back,
              And hums.                             --Shak.
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     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. To express satisfaction by a humming noise.
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              Here the spectators hummed.           --Trial of the
                                                    Regicides.
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     Note: Formerly the habit of audiences was to express
           gratification by humming and displeasure by hissing.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     5. To have the sensation of a humming noise; as, my head
        hums, -- a pathological condition.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hum \Hum\, n.
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums. --Shak.
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     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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  But 'midst the crowd, the hum, the shock of men.
                                                    --Byron.
        (b) A buzz or murmur, as of approbation. --Macaulay.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     3. An imposition or hoax.
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     4. [Cf. {Hem}, interj.] An inarticulate nasal sound or
        murmur, like h'm, uttered by a speaker in pause from
        embarrassment, affectation, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              These shrugs, these hums and ha's.    --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. [Perh. so called because strongly intoxicating.] A kind of
        strong drink formerly used. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Venous hum}. See under {Venous}.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hum \Hum\, interj. [Cf. {Hem}, interj.]
     Ahem; hem; an inarticulate sound uttered in a pause of speech
     implying doubt and deliberation. --Pope.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hum \Hum\, v. t.
     1. To sing with shut mouth; to murmur without articulation;
        to mumble; as, to hum a tune.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To express satisfaction with by humming.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. To flatter by approving; to cajole; to impose on; to
        humbug. [Colloq. & Low]
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hum
       n 1: the state of being or appearing to be actively engaged in an
            activity; "they manifested all the busyness of a pack of
            beavers"; "there is a constant hum of military
            preparation" [syn: {busyness}]
       2: an Islamic fundamentalist group in Pakistan that fought the
          Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s; now operates as
          a terrorist organization primarily in Kashmir and seeks
          Kashmir's accession by Pakistan [syn: {Harkat-ul-Mujahidin},
           {Harkat ul-Ansar}, {HUA}, {Harkat ul-Mujahedeen}, {Al
          Faran}, {Movement of Holy Warriors}]
       3: a humming noise; "the hum of distant traffic" [syn: {humming}]
       v 1: sing with closed lips; "She hummed a melody"
       2: be noisy with activity; "This office is buzzing with
          activity" [syn: {buzz}, {seethe}]
       3: sound with a monotonous hum [syn: {thrum}]
       4: make a low continuous sound; "The refrigerator is humming"
       [also: {humming}, {hummed}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  170 Moby Thesaurus words for "hum":
     Indian file, anthem, array, articulation, ballad, bank, bel canto,
     birdies, birr, blooping, blurping, bombilate, bombilation,
     bombinate, bombination, boom, booming, bravura, bum, burr, buzz,
     buzzing, carol, catena, catenation, chain, chain reaction,
     chaining, chant, chirp, chirrup, choir, choral singing, chorus,
     coloratura, concatenation, connection, consecution,
     continue the same, continuum, course, croon, crooning, cycle,
     descant, descent, distortion, do-re-mi, drag along, drag on, drone,
     droning, endless belt, endless round, falter, feedback, file,
     filiation, flutter, fluttering, folk singing, gamut, gradation,
     halt, haw, hem, hem and haw, hesitate, hissing, howling,
     hum and haw, humming, hymn, intonate, intonation, intone, lilt,
     line, lineage, low rumbling, lyricism, mammer, minstrel, monotone,
     motorboating, nexus, operatic singing, pendulum, periodicity,
     persist, pipe, plenum, powder train, prevail, progression, psalm,
     purr, purring, quaver, queue, range, rank, recurrence,
     reticulation, rotation, roulade, round, routine, row, rumble, run,
     run through, scale, scat, scat singing, scratching, sequence,
     serenade, series, shake, shredding, sing, sing in chorus, singing,
     single file, sol-fa, sol-fa exercise, solfeggio, solmizate,
     solmization, song, spectrum, squeals, stammer, static, string,
     stumble, stutter, succession, swath, thread, thrum, thrumming,
     tier, tonic sol-fa, train, tremolo, trill, troll, tweedle,
     tweedledee, twit, twitter, vocal music, vocalization, vocalize,
     warble, warbling, whir, whirring, whistle, whistles, whiz,
     whizzing, windrow, woomping, wow, wowwows, yodel, yodeling
  
  

















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