Main Entry:

hum·ming·bird

Pronunciation:

\ˈhə-miŋ-ˌbərd\

Function:

noun

Date:

1637

: any of a family (Trochilidae) of tiny brightly colored nonpasserine American birds related to the swifts that have a very slender bill and an extensible tongue for sipping nectar and that usually hover rather than perch when feeding

[hummingbird illustration]