hover

[ huhv-er, hov- ]

verb (used without object)

1. to hang fluttering or suspended in the air:

   The helicopter hovered over the building.

2. to keep lingering about; wait near at hand.
3. to remain in an uncertain or irresolute state; waver:

   to hover between life and death.

   Synonyms: fluctuate, pause, falter

4. Computers. to place a pointer over an area of a screen without clicking or tapping, as with a mouse or stylus:

   Hover over the icon to reveal more information.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to hover.
2. Computers. to place (a pointer) over an area of a screen without clicking or tapping.

noun

1. the act or state of hovering.

hover

/ ˈhɒvə /

verb

1. intr to remain suspended in one place
2. intr (of certain birds, esp hawks) to remain in one place in the air by rapidly beating the wings
3. intr to linger uncertainly in a nervous or solicitous way
4. intr to be in a state of indecision

   she was hovering between the two suitors

5. tr computing to hold (the mouse pointer) over a defined area on a web page without clicking, in order to cause a menu, information box, etc to appear

noun

1. the act of hovering

Derived Forms

• ˈhoveringly, adverb
• ˈhoverer, noun

Other Words From

• hover·er noun
• hover·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of hover¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English hoveren, frequentative of hoven “to hover,” of obscure origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of hover¹

C14: hoveren, variant of hoven, of obscure origin

Synonym Study

See fly ²none.

Example Sentences

It was taking all my concentration just to try to hold a stable hover, basically, and safely put the swimmer down.

From Popular-Science

Google opens those issues in a hover over window on the right of the page.

From Search Engine Land

Special suits allow you and your team to hover over gaps and jump to superhuman heights.

From The Daily Beast

He also repeatedly tied her to President Obama, whose approval ratings in the state hover in the 30s.

From The Daily Beast

INTERACTIVE: Hover over markers for more from each range on their age and firearm restrictions for children.

From The Daily Beast

Not to mention the untold number of families who hover just one medical crisis or job loss away from financial ruin.

From The Daily Beast

His approval ratings, improbably, hover around the 40 percent mark.

From The Daily Beast

They 'ung 'im in the lamp chains right hover the dinin' table, and then finished the dessert.

From Project Gutenberg

They were all glad to hover around the blaze, now and then; and especially so when they ate their luncheons.

From Project Gutenberg

Sometimes the Time Observatory would pinpoint an age and hover over it while his companions took painstaking historical notes.

From Project Gutenberg

As your guests will come dropping in at all hours, you must hover near the door to greet each one entering.

From Project Gutenberg

Ourrias is carried to the bottom of the river by the goblins and spirits that come out and hover over it at night.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• drift
• flicker
• flutter
• fly
• linger
• poise
• waver