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# humming

«humming» in Mova's school dictionary: **singing a tune with your lips closed, making a «mmm» sound** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb form (-ing form of hum: hum, hums, hummed, humming); noun (humming — uncountable); adjective (humming)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Humming is singing a tune with your lips closed, making a «mmm» sound. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#m1)

2) Humming is a low, steady buzzing sound, like bees, a fridge or machines. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#m2)

3) Humming (adjective) can mean busy and full of activity. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In music lessons, children hum a tune before learning the words. In science, a humming sound comes from vibrations, such as fast-beating insect wings or a working machine; this links to how sound is made. In stories, humming shows a character is happy or relaxed, or a strange hum builds suspense. Phrases: hum a tune, hum along, the humming of bees, humming with activity.

### examples

- She was humming her favourite song while she painted. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#x1)
- We heard the humming of bees in the lavender. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#x2)
- The fridge makes a quiet humming noise. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#x3)
- Hum the tune if you don't know the words. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#x4)
- The playground was humming with excitement before the holidays. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#x5)
- The humming of the wires came from the electricity pylons. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#x6)
- ‘What’s that you’re humming?’ asked the old man. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/#x7)

### note

Double m before -ing and -ed: hum, humming, hummed. A hum is low and steady; a buzz is sharper. Hummingbirds are named after the humming sound of their wings.

### In the corpora

- [Warm-ups such as lip trills and humming help the breath and the voice muscles work without strain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/8-singing-choirs-and-talent-shows/7/)
- [Near your town, transformers in a humming substation turn the voltage down so it is safe enough to use in homes.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/technology/32-power-stations-and-the-grid/3/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «humming» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/humming/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.