Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Humming?

\Hum"ming\, a. Emitting a murmuring sound; droning; murmuring; buzzing.
\Hum"ming\, n. A sound like that made by bees; a low, murmuring sound; a hum. {Hummingale}, lively or strong ale. --Dryden. {Humming bird} (Zo["o]l.), any bird of the family {Trochilid[ae]}, of which over one hundred genera are known, including about four hundred species. They are found only in America and are most abundant in the tropics. They are mostly of very small size, and are not for their very brilliant colors and peculiar habit of hovering about flowers while vibrating their wings very rapidly with a humming noise. They feed both upon the nectar of flowers and upon small insects. The common humming bird or ruby-throat of the Eastern United States is {Trochilus culubris}. Several other species are found in the Western United States. See {Calliope}, and {Ruby-throat}. {Humming-bird moth} (Zo["o]l.), a hawk moth. See {Hawk moth}, under {Hawk}, the bird.