bombinate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- bombination noun
Etymology
Origin of bombinate
First recorded in 1875–80; from New Latin bombinātus, past participle of bombināre, apparently coined by François Rabelais on the basis of Latin bombilāre “to hum, buzz,” from Greek bombyliázein, derivative of bómbos; see bomb
Explanation
Things that bombinate hum or buzz. A novice beekeeper might complain, "When the bees all bombinate like that, it makes me nervous!" The sound of chatter in a coffee shop might bombinate around you as you try to concentrate on your book, and your dad might bombinate as he tidies the kitchen, humming and murmuring to himself. You bombinate when you produce a buzz of noise or activity. The word has a Latin root, bombinare, a variation on bombitare, "to hum or buzz," which comes from bombus, "a deep, hollow sound."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A few Senators thought they detected the busy, ubiquitous hand of Harry Hopkins�and the Senate is never too busy to bombinate about Harry.
From Time Magazine Archive
When pressed, conductors and chairmen of orchestral boards will bombinate about the importance of hearing new and different works, of keeping musical culture fresh.
From Time Magazine Archive
Like his co-workers he had been somewhat stampeded by Dorn's imitative faculties, faculties which enabled the former journalist to bombinate twice as loud in a void three times as great as any of his colleagues.
From Erik Dorn by Hecht, Ben
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
