Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Lexicon: housewife – hum
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housewife (-'s, housewives), n. [see house, n., wife, n.; contracted as hŭswife, which pejorated to 'hussy'.]
- Married woman who directs the affairs of home and family.
- [Fig.] personification of nature that performing household tasks.
hover (-ed, -ing, -s), v. [origin unknown.] (webplay: back).
Hang over; flit around; move back and forth with irregular motions.
how, adv. [OE hú.] (webplay: better, cause, cheek, clouds, degree, effect, fallen, gold, house, know, less, love, more, old, pale, man, manner, means, mighty, more, sea, servant, state, suffer, return, rivers).
- [Interrogative; question marker]; in what way; in what manner; by what means.
- [Introducing an infinitive]; by certain means; in a particular manner.
- [Introducing a relative clause]; to what extent.
- [Qualifying adj. or adv.]; to what extent; in what degree.
- [Exclamation; intensifier]; so; very; to such a degree!
- [Qualifying verb]; in what way; in what manner; by what authority?
- [Ellipsis.]
- Phrase. “How many”: what quantity of?
- Phrase. “How much”: what great amount; what generous quantity.
- Phrase. “How are you”: in what condition; how do you feel?
- Phrase. “How doth the busy bee”: [see bee; quoted from a 1715 Isaac Watts poem.]
however, adv. [see how, adv. + ever, adv.] (webplay: good, way).
- [Qualifying verb]; in whatever manner; by whatever means.
- [Qualifying adj. or adv.]; although; to whatever extent; notwithstanding that.
- [Qualifying clause]; but; nevertheless; notwithstanding.
- [Formulaic utterance modification; closure]; though.
hubbub, n. [Gaelic ub! ub! ubub! interj. of aversion or contempt; abu! war-cry.]
Riot; tumult; uproar; great noise.
hue (-s), n. [OE híew < West Germanic 'form, show, appearance'.] (webplay: color, shouting).
Tint; color; shade; [word play] yell; outcry.
hueless, adj. [see hue, n.]
Colorless; without tint.
hug, v. [origin unknown.]
Embrace; hold fast; press close; [fig.] treat with fondness.
huge (hugest), adj. [OFr ahuge < unknown origin.] (webplay: large, size).
Great; enormous; very big.
hum, n. [see hum, v.] (webplay: bees, men, sing).
Buzz; low singing.