hummingbird

American  

[huhm-ing-burd] / ˈhʌm ɪŋˌbɜrd /

noun

1. a very small nectar-sipping New World bird of the family Trochilidae, characterized by the brilliant, iridescent plumage of the male, a slender bill, and narrow wings, the extremely rapid beating of which produces a humming humming sound: noted for their ability to hover and to fly upward, downward, and backward in a horizontal position.

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hummingbird British  

/ ˈhʌmɪŋˌbɜːd /

noun

1. any very small American bird of the family Trochilidae, having a brilliant iridescent plumage, long slender bill, and wings specialized for very powerful vibrating flight: order Apodiformes

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Etymology

Origin of hummingbird

An Americanism dating back to 1625–35; humming + bird

Example Sentences

He was pale and jumpy, his hands fluttering here and there like two hummingbirds.

From Literature

“I can see the palm trees moving back and forth and the hummingbirds in the morning,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times

A quest to photograph every species of hummingbird.

From MarketWatch

“We were chasing one out of town and the bear actually stopped mid chase, grabbed a hummingbird feeder in this person’s front yard and literally just downed it,” she recalled.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gray-green Hollywood Flame fuchsia are just starting to bloom in long red tubes that are irresistible to hummingbirds.

From Los Angeles Times