Hum Meaning
/ˈhʌm/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips closed.
nounAn often indistinct sound resembling human humming.
Sentence Examples
Hum baby to sleep.
A melody is not merely something you can hum.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The refrigerator began to ____ quietly in the corner of the kitchen.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I could hear the constant low ____ of the refrigerator coming from the kitchen.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English hummen (“to hum, buzz, drone, make a murmuring sound to cover embarrassment”); akin to Dutch hommelen (“to bumble, buzz”), dialectal Dutch hommen (“to buzz, hum”), Middle High German hummen (“to hum”), probably ultimately of imitative origin.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"the shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums"
— c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
"you do provide me hum enough , And lour to bouse with"
— c. 1622, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger [et al.?], “Beggars Bush”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
"There is a range of theories from farm or factory machinery to conspiracy theories such as flying saucers. And yet, "the hum" remains an unsolved case."
— 2011 June 13, “Who, What, Why: Why is 'the hum' such a mystery?”, in BBC News:
"The leaves of the foreſt were loaded with manna, pure amber dropped from every bough, honey diſtilled from the rifted rock, and the humming bee, drunk with joy, ſtrayed from flower to flower, forgetful of his burſting cells."
— 1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iv:
"A slight gloom fell upon the table. Jacob was helping himself to jam; the postman was talking to Rebecca in the kitchen; there was a bee humming at the yellow flower which nodded at the open window."
— 1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter 2, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The refrigerator began to ____ quietly in the corner of the kitchen.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I could hear the constant low ____ of the refrigerator coming from the kitchen.