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

At first, there were only a few, so the hummingbirds were able to successfully work their way around them. —Irv Erdos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025

In his 2023 memoir, Spare, the Duke of Sussex, 41, shared an anecdote about finding a hummingbird in his house after the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025

Evening light spills across the pollinator gardens—alive with bees, hummingbirds, and the occasional wandering chicken—before dissolving into the shimmer of the Mackinac Bridge. —Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025

Flowers hang in clusters of two to five blooms and provide an early nectar source for hummingbirds and butterflies. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2025

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