Emily Dickinson Lexicon

HUM'DRUM, n.

A stupid fellow; a drone.

HU-MECT', or HU-MECT'ATE, v.t. [L. humecto, from humeo, to be moist; Fr. humecter.]

To moisten; to wet; to water. [Little used.] Brown. Howell.

HU-MECT-A'TION, n.

The act of moistening, wetting or watering. [Little used.] Bacon.

HU-MECT'IVE, a.

Having the power to moisten.

HU'MER-AL, a. [Fr. from L. humerus, the shoulder.]

Belonging to the shoulder; as, the humeral artery.

HUM'HUM, n.

A kind of plain, coarse India cloth, made of cotton.

HU-MI-CU-BA'TION, n. [L. humus, the ground, and cubo, to lie.]

A lying on the ground. [Litlle used.] Bramhall.

HU'MID, a. [L. humidus, from humeo, to be moist; Fr. humide.]

1. Moist; damp; containing sensible moisture; as, a humid air or atmosphere.
2. Somewhat wet or watery; as, humid earth.

HU-MID'I-TY, n.

1. Moisture; dampness; a moderate degree of wetness which is perceptible to the eye or touch, occasioned by the absorption of a fluid, or its adherence to the surface of a body. When a cloth has imbibed any fluid to such a degree that it can be felt, we call it humid; but when no humidity is perceptible, we say it is dry. Quicksilver communicates no humidity to our hands or clothes, for it does not adhere to them; but it will adhere to gold, tin and lead, and render them humid and soft to the touch.
2. Moisture in the form of visible vapor, or perceptible in the air.

HU'MID-NESS, n.

Humidity.

HU-MIL'I-ATE, v.t. [L. humilio; Fr. humilier.]

To humble; to lower in condition; to depress; as, humiliated slaves. Eaton.

HU-MIL'I-A-TED, pp.

Humbled; depressed; degraded.

HU-MIL'I-A-TING, ppr.

1. Humbling; depressing.
2. adj. Abating pride; reducing self-confidence; mortifying. Boswell.

HU-MIL-I-A'TION, n.

1. The act of humbling; the state of being humbled.
2. Descent from an elevated state or rank to one that is low or humble. The former was a humiliation of deity; the latter, a humiliation of manhood. Hooker.
3. The act of abasing pride; or the state of being reduced to lowliness of mind, meekness, penitence and submission. The doctrine he preached was humiliation and repentance. Swift.
4. Abasement of pride; mortification.

HU-MIL'I-TY, n. [L. humilitas; Fr. humilité. See Humble.]

1. In ethics, freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth. In theology, humility consists in lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one's own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will. Before honor is humility. Prov. xv. Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. Acts xx.
2. Act of submission. With these humilities they satisfied the young king. Davies.

HU'MITE, n.

A mineral of a reddish brown color, and a shining luster; crystalized in octahedrons, much modified by truncation and bevelment. It is named from Sir Abraham Hume. Cleaveland.

HUM'MER, n. [from hum.]

One that hums; an applauder. Ainsworth.

HUM'MING, n.

The sound of bees; a low murmuring sound.

HUM'MING, ppr.

Making a low buzzing or murmuring sound.

HUM'MING-ALE, n.

Sprightly ale. Dryden.

HUM'MING-BIRD, n.

The smallest of birds, of the genus Trochilus. [See Humbird.]

HUM'MOC, n.

A solid mass of turf considerably elevated above the surrounding earth. [See Hommoc.]

HUM'MUMS, n. [Persian.]

Baths or places for sweating.

HU'MOR, n. [L. from humeo, to be moist; Sans. ama, moist. The pronunciation, yumor, is odiously vulgar.]

1. Moisture; but the word is chiefly used to express the moisture or fluids of animal bodies; as, the humors of the eye. But more generally the word is used to express a fluid in its morbid or vitiated state. Hence, in popular speech, we often hear it said, the blood is full of humors. But the expression is not technical nor correct. Aqueous humor of the eye, a transparent fluid, occupying the space between the crystaline lens and the cornea, both before and behind the pupil. Crystaline humor or lens, a small transparent solid body, of a softish consistence, occupying a middle position in the eye, between the aqueous and vitreous humors, and directly behind the pupil. It is of a lenticular form, or with double convex surfaces, and is the principal instrument in refracting the rays of light, so as to form an image on the retina. Vitreous humor of the eye, a fluid contained in the minute cells of a transparent membrane, occupying the greater part of the cavity of the eye, and all the space between the crystaline and the retina. Wistar.
2. A disease of the skin; cutaneous eruptions. Fielding.
3. Turn of mind; temper; disposition, or rather a peculiarity of disposition often temporary; so called because the temper of mind has been supposed to depend on the fluids of the body. Hence we say, good humor; melancholy humor; peevish humor. Such humors, when temporary, we call freaks, whims, caprice. Thus a person characterized by good nature may have a fit of ill humor; and an ill natured person may have a fit of good humor. So we say, it was the humor of the man at the time; it was the humor of the multitude.
4. That quality of the imagination which gives to ideas a wild or fantastic turn, and tends to excite laughter or mirth by ludicrous images or representations. Humor is less poignant and brilliant than wit; hence it is always agreeable. Wit, directed against folly, often offends by its severity; humor makes a man ashamed of his follies, without exciting his resentment. Humor may be employed solely to raise mirth and render conversation pleasant, or it may contain a delicate kind of satire.
5. Petulance; peevishness; better expressed by ill humor. Is my friend all perfection? Has he not humors to be endured? South.
6. A trick; a practice or habit. I like not the humor of lying. Shak.

HU'MOR, v.t.

1. To gratify by yielding to particular inclination, humor, wish or desire; to indulge by compliance. We sometimes humor children to their injury or ruin. The sick, the infirm, and the aged often require to be humored.
2. To suit; to indulge; to favor by imposing no restraint, and rather contributing to promote by occasional aids. We say, an actor humors his part, or the piece. It is my part to invent, and that of the musicians to humor that invention. Dryden.