hum

American  

[huhm] / hʌm /

verb (used without object)

hummed, humming

1. to make a low, continuous, droning sound.

2. to give forth an indistinct sound of mingled voices or noises.

3. to utter an indistinct sound in hesitation, embarrassment, dissatisfaction, etc.; hem.

4. to sing with closed lips, without articulating words.

5. to be in a state of busy activity.

   The household hummed in preparation for the wedding.

   Synonyms:

   buzz, bustle

6. British Slang. to have a bad odor, as of stale perspiration.

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verb (used with object)

hummed, humming

1. to sound, sing, or utter by humming.

   to hum a tune.

2. to bring, put, etc., by humming.

   to hum a child to sleep.

noun

1. the act or sound of humming; an inarticulate or indistinct murmur; hem.

2. Audio. an unwanted low-frequency sound caused by power-line frequencies in any audio component.

interjection

1. (an inarticulate sound uttered in contemplation, hesitation, dissatisfaction, doubt, etc.)

hum British  

/ hʌm /

verb

1. (intr) to make a low continuous vibrating sound like that of a prolonged m

2. (intr) (of a person) to sing with the lips closed

3. (intr) to utter an indistinct sound, as in hesitation; hem

4. informal (intr) to be in a state of feverish activity

5. slang (intr) to smell unpleasant

6. slang (intr) to scrounge

7. See hem 2

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noun

1. a low continuous murmuring sound

2. electronics an undesired low-frequency noise in the output of an amplifier or receiver, esp one caused by the power supply

3. slang a scrounger; cadger

4. slang an unpleasant odour

interjection

1. an indistinct sound of hesitation, embarrassment, etc; hem

Other Word Forms

• hummer noun
• underhum noun

Etymology

Origin of hum

1300–50; Middle English; ultimately imitative; cognate with German hummen to hum; humblebee

Example Sentences

Imagine this: The cheerful, if slightly scolding voices of the self-checkout machines punctuate the steady hum of fluorescent lights.

From Salon

The only sound came from a generator humming by the temporary white tents erected outside the bar.

From Barron's

A kitchen manager keeps a careful eye on costs and resources, working in tandem with the chef to make sure the pantry hums efficiently.

From Salon

To keep Joule’s generators humming, an on-site service shop is being built by Wheeler Machinery, the independent Caterpillar dealer for Utah.

From The Wall Street Journal

They pull 107 megawatts of power to keep their specialized computers humming so a global ledger can update itself every ten minutes for people who will never set foot in West Virginia.

From Salon

Related Words

• croon
• moan
• mumble
• murmur
• purr
• sing
• strum
• throb
• trill
• warble
• whisper