Hum

v. i. [imp. & p. p. HUMMED; p. pr. & vb. n. HUMMING.] [Ger. hummen, humsen, D. hommelen.]

1Sense 1. To make a dull, prolonged, nasal sound, like that of a bee in flight; to drone; to murmur; to buzz; as, a top hums.

2Sense 2. To make a drawling sound through the nose in the process of speaking, from embarrassment or affectation. “He hummed and hawed.” Hudibras.

3Sense 3. To make as if speaking or praying, but without opening the mouth, or articulating; to mumble; to drone.

The cloudy messenger turns me his back, And hums. Shak.

4Sense 4. To make a dull, heavy noise like a drone.

Still humming on, their drowsy course they took. Pope.

n. 1. The noise of bees in flight, of a swiftly revolving top, of a whirling wheel, or the like; a drone; a buzz. “The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hum.” Shak.

2Sense 2. Any inarticulate and buzzing sound; as, (a.) The confused noise of a crowd heard at a distance. “But midst the crowd, the hum, the shock of men.” Byron. (b.) A buzz or murmur of approbation; as, a hum of applause. (c.) An inarticulate sound or murmur uttered by a speaker in pauses from embarrassment, &c. “These shrugs, these hums and haws.” Shak.

3Sense 3. An imposition or hoax.

n. A kind of strong liquor formerly used, regarded by some as a mixture of ale or beer and spirits. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

[Cf. HEM.] Ahem; hem; a sound with a pause implying doubt and deliberation. Pope.