hummingbird

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noun hum·ming·bird \ ˈhə-miŋ-ˌbərd \

Definition of hummingbird

: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

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Recent Examples of hummingbird from the Web

Grigsby Prairie and Flint Creek Savanna can be seen from their perimeters, havens for birds, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds – those magical, elusive and amazing flyers.

— barbara benson, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Barrington conservationist leaves indelible mark on area," 23 Aug. 2017
How would the Royal Family explain why Middleton purchased 80 hummingbird brooches on Amazon?

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Kate Middleton Isn't Allowed to Sign Autographs for This (Logical) Reason," 15 Aug. 2017
In small numbers of large groups, nonetheless the hummingbird remains a fascinating creature.

— vickie snow jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "August is hummingbird season," 10 Aug. 2017
Be ready to duck; that garden is a nonstop hummingbird feeding frenzy.

— ciscoe morris, The Seattle Times, "Bellevue Botanical Garden celebrates 25 years of amazing plants and programs," 2 Aug. 2017
Instead of screaming down the straightaways the way F1 cars do, FE cars buzz like giant colorful hummingbirds.

— Washington Post, "With engines whirring, electric car racing comes to Brooklyn," 16 July 2017
Besides covering ground, this shrub is good for hummingbirds and butterflies.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "This purple sage covers a lot of ground," 14 July 2017
Beauty is evident in the divine-like images of nature in Walter Inglis Anderson's distinct watercolors, with palmettos and other trees, magnolia seed pods, cicadas, hummingbirds and a jumping frog.

— elizabeth kramer, The Courier-Journal, "Speed Art Museum's ambitious Southern Accent show is a 'jukebox experience'," 12 July 2017
Bees love them, and butterflies and hummingbirds are drawn to them.

— neil sperry, star-telegram.com, "What makes heat-loving lantanas so tough? Well, they’re native Texans, for starters," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hummingbird.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of hummingbird

First Known Use of hummingbird

1637

HUMMINGBIRD Defined for English Language Learners

hummingbird

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noun

Definition of hummingbird for English Language Learners

: a very small, brightly colored American bird that has wings which beat very fast

HUMMINGBIRD Defined for Kids

hummingbird

play

noun hum·ming·bird \ ˈhə-miŋ-ˌbərd \

Definition of hummingbird for Students

:a tiny brightly colored American bird whose wings make a humming sound in flight

Learn More about hummingbird

See words that rhyme with hummingbird Spanish Central: Translation of hummingbird Nglish: Translation of hummingbird for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hummingbird

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hummingbird

Definition of hummingbird

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HUMMINGBIRD Defined for English Language Learners

hummingbird

Definition of hummingbird for English Language Learners

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hummingbird

Definition of hummingbird for Students

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Definition of hummingbird for English Language Learners

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