Word a Day
hum
What does hum mean?
hum (verb): to make a sound from the vocal cords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use hum in a sentence?
- We are humming happily along with the music. (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0)
How do you pronounce hum?
/hʌm/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does hum come from?
From Middle English hummen (“to hum, buzz, drone, make a murmuring sound to cover embarrassment”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “hum”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “hum” mean?
to make a sound from the vocal cords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed
Right! That's what “hum” means.
to slide along the ground, without the rotary motion that wheels or tracks would normally have
Not quite: that's what skid means.
to quickly lower (the head or body), often in order to prevent it from being struck by something
Not quite: that's what duck means.
separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
Not quite: that's what sift means.
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