hum1 verbhum2 noun
humhum1 /hʌm/ ●○○ verb (past tense and past participle hummed, present participle humming) 
Word OriginWORD ORIGINhum1
Verb TableOrigin:
1300-1400 From the soundVERB TABLE
hum
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | hum |
| he, she, it | hums | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | hummed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have hummed |
| he, she, it | has hummed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had hummed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will hum |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have hummed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am humming |
| he, she, it | is humming | |
| you, we, they | are humming | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was humming |
| you, we, they | were humming | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been humming |
| he, she, it | has been humming | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been humming |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be humming |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been humming |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Carol hummed along to the song on the radio.
- Low interest rates make borrowing easier and keep the economy humming.
- Musicals are uplifting, and you are sure to leave the theatre humming a cheerful tune.
- Sewing machines hummed on the factory floor.
- She hummed softly to herself as she worked.
- The computer was still on, humming away.
- The refrigerator hummed softly in the corner.
- Hum of black machinery, humming hate and death and other hospital secrets.
- Limbs and trunks rubbed together and intermingled, humming deep tunes like giant bass fiddles.
- Quietly, under my breath, I began humming Handel.
- The volume of the world was turned up so the air molecules hummed a deep bass note.
- The windows of the car were open and they hummed along at a steady cruising speed meeting very little traffic.
Longman Language Activatorto make a musical sound without words► hum
Collocations to make musical sounds with your voice, but with your mouth closed: · She hummed softly to herself as she worked.· Musicals are uplifting, and you are sure to leave the theatre humming a cheerful tune.
► whistle to make musical sounds by blowing air out between your lips: · He stacked crates one on top of the other, whistling as he did so.· You've been whistling that tune all day.
sounds made by machines, engines, cars etc► buzz to make a continuous sound, for example, like the sound made by bees: · Police helicopters buzzed backwards and forwards over the area all day.· The whole office seemed to be buzzing with the sound of machinery.
► hum to make a soft, low continuous sound like the sound made by some electric or electronic equipment: · The refrigerator hummed softly in the corner.· The computer was still on, humming away.
► whirr to make a fairly quiet, regular sound like something turning very quickly and beating against the air: · The video recorder whirred and rewound.· Already the plane's propellers were whirring into action.
► whine an unpleasant long high sound, especially produced by an engine or vehicle running at very high speed: · The sky was filled with the whine and roar of bombers.
► beep also bleep British a high, sometimes repeated, electronic sound sent out by a machine, especially in order to attract someone's attention: · You'll hear a bleep when the photocopier's finished printing.· Someone's pager beeped in the middle of the best scene in the play.
► roar if a car, plane etc engine roars , it makes a very loud noise when it is near full power: · The Ferrari roared and shot off down the road.roar past/along etc (=move with a roaring sound): · There was the sound of a siren and several police cars roared past.
► tick if a clock or other machine ticks , it makes a quiet, regular, repeated sound: · I find it impossible to sleep if there's a clock ticking in the room.· As usual, there was a bomb ticking somewhere and James Bond had to find it.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the roar/rumble/hum of traffic
1[intransitive, transitive] to sing a tune by making a continuous sound with your lips closedhum to yourself· The only noise was the distant rumble of traffic on the coastal road.
► hum/whistle a tune· She was humming a little tune to herself.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► along· The rest of the production hums along.· The windows of the car were open and they hummed along at a steady cruising speed meeting very little traffic.· Madeline hummed along with the jukebox.· Kylie would spend hours listening to the radio, singing or humming along the latest hits.· While my attentions have been engaged elsewhere, the nifty little device has been quietly humming along.· Tonight, she and Andrew ought to have hummed along, two messages meeting on a wire.
► softly· Bridget picked up her sock doll and hummed softly.· Only the power plant hummed softly, the aeration ponds murmuring.
NOUN► tune· I found myself humming to the tune of the violin an old man was playing for sous.· He was fifteen minutes humming a hymn tune as he did his toenails.· Hrun hummed a little tune as he began to pull crumbling leather from the desecrated altar.· Limbs and trunks rubbed together and intermingled, humming deep tunes like giant bass fiddles.· And when I hummed old tunes that soothed my baby sister something in them spiked your grief to howling.· The path narrowed, and Maude moved out in front, humming a tune Rob recognized.· No one knew his name, but people hummed his tunes.· She's humming a tune behind her silly smile.
VERB► begin· Quietly, under my breath, I began humming Handel.· Subconsciously I remembered then began to hum the Robinson Crusoe theme music.· He began to hum along with the music.· He began to hum a tune, dissociating himself, rolling a cigarette with easy movements.· One of the three khthons began to hum a sorrowful melody.
► start· He started to hum through his nose.
Tony was humming to himself as he drove along. He began to hum a tune.2[intransitive] to make a low continuous sound: Machines hummed on the factory floor.3[intransitive] if a place hums, it is full of activity – use this to show approval → busy: By nine o'clock, the restaurant was humming.hum with The streets were humming with life.4 hum and haw British English to take a long time deciding what to say or do → hesitate SYN hem and haw American Englishhum1 verbhum2 noun
humhum2 noun [singular] ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- the hum of the air conditioning
- the distant hum of traffic
- Soft, now what be this hum?
- The hum in the air was from pylons; a cold and nervous electrical hum.
- The electric light was burning and mixers and other equipment were making a steady hum.
- The steady hum of the drilling rigs and the rough growls of heavy machinery moving on the road smear the coastal quiet.
- There was a low hum of conversation.
THESAURUSa quiet sound► hum
Collocations a quiet low continuous sound, especially from electrical equipment, traffic, an engine, or people’s conversation: · The only sound was the faint hum of the air-conditioning unit.· He could hear the hum of distant traffic.
► rustle a continuous quiet sound from papers, leaves, or clothes when they rub together: · She heard the rustle of dried leaves behind her.· the rustle of silk dresses
► murmur a quiet low continuous sound, especially from people’s voices that are far away: · The murmur of voices died away.· They spoke in a low murmur.
► rumble a series of long low sounds, especially from big guns, traffic, or thunder: · I heard a rumble of thunder.· the low rumble of a train approaching
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the roar/rumble/hum of traffic
1a low continuous soundhum of· The only noise was the distant rumble of traffic on the coastal road.
► hum/whistle a tune· She was humming a little tune to herself.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► low· It rises to a low hum again when they see it's only him.· There was a low hum of conversation.· When he walked out the door, the town seemed dim, insubstantial, and filled with an ominous low hum.· With the same amp settings the low hum single coils sing with almost the character of a Gibson P90.· A low business-like hum sounded from inside it.· The only sound is the low hum of the air conditioner.· A cricket joins in, one of the lamps hums a low hum, but what I want to hear is Margaret.
VERB► hear· From outside he could hear the muted hum of London's traffic.· They heard a steady hum, which soon melted into a steady silence.· She heard the hum of pleasant voices, and guessed she must be last down.
the distant hum of traffic► see thesaurus at sound2hum of excitement/approval etc the sound of people talking because they are excited etc