From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhumhum1 /hʌm/ ●○○ verb (hummed, humming) 1 [intransitive, transitive]SING to sing a tune by making a continuous sound with your lips closedhum to yourself Tony was humming to himself as he drove along. He began to hum a tune.2 [intransitive]SOUND to make a low continuous sound Machines hummed on the factory floor.3 [intransitive]BUSY PLACE 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→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
hum• 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.• 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.• Carol hummed along to the song on the radio.• The computer was still on, humming away.• Limbs and trunks rubbed together and intermingled, humming deep tunes like giant bass fiddles.• Quietly, under my breath, I began humming Handel.• Hum of black machinery, humming hate and death and other hospital secrets.• Sewing machines hummed on the factory floor.• The refrigerator hummed softly in the corner.• She hummed softly to herself as she worked.hum to yourself• I put my pyjamas on and hum to myself.• I run home, skipping and humming to myself.• Robot tenders puttered briskly through the water, humming to themselves.• Tony was humming to himself as he drove along but Freddie sat silent, sulking over the raid that never was.• He was humming to himself as he drove - occasionally contributing to the conversation - a placid, contented family man.• He hummed to himself as they continued northwards.• She will lie in the soapsuds, humming to herself, till two in the morning.humhum2 noun [singular] 1 SOUNDa low continuous soundhum of the distant hum of traffic► see thesaurus at sound2 → hum of excitement/approval etcExamples from the Corpus
hum• the distant hum of traffic• There was a low hum of conversation.• 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.• the hum of the air conditioning• The hum in the air was from pylons; a cold and nervous electrical hum.• Soft, now what be this hum?Origin hum1 (1300-1400) From the sound 