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

Flowers and greenery sprouting from every corner and crevice attract hummingbirds, a cacophony of morning birdsong and a cricket soundtrack by late afternoon. —Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

The team proposes that the constructions serve primarily as a defense from predators such as hummingbirds or helicopter damselflies. —Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 19 Jan. 2026

Though common along the Pacific Coast, Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) is anything but common in appearance. —Kier Holmes, Martha Stewart, 18 Jan. 2026

The critters who drop in or call the space home range from monarch butterflies, ladybugs and lizards to hummingbirds and bushtits, skunks, opossums and even the occasional mountain lion. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 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