hummingbird

noun

hum·​ming·​bird ˈhə-miŋ-ˌbərd 

: 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

Illustration of hummingbird

Examples of hummingbird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees, but deer and rabbits ignore them. — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 7 July 2026

Join Wildlife Biologist Viviane Marquez and learn about hummingbirds that migrate 500 miles in 24 hours, and which birds fly by night and which by day, and why birds fly more quickly in the spring than in the fall, and other fun facts. — Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026

Various aromatic plants repel mosquitoes and attract beneficial predators to deter vegetable pests, and some of these, like flowering catmint, also attract hummingbirds. — The Spruce, 5 July 2026

Both hummingbirds and butterflies love taking sips out of them on hot summer days. — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hummingbird

• ruby-throated hummingbird

Rhymes for hummingbird

• afterword
• firebird
• ladybird
• mockingbird
• overheard
• thunderbird
• undergird
• undeterred
• absurd
• averred
• bluebird
• byword

Kids Definition

hummingbird

noun

hum·​ming·​bird ˈhəm-iŋ-ˌbərd 

: any of numerous tiny brightly colored American birds related to the swifts and having narrow swiftly beating wings, a slender bill, and a long tongue for sipping nectar