hummingbird

[ huhm-ing-burd ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a very small nectar-sipping New World bird of the family Trochilidae, characterized by the brilliant, iridescent plumage of the male, a slender bill, and narrow wings, the extremely rapid beating of which produces a humming humming sound: noted for their ability to hover and to fly upward, downward, and backward in a horizontal position.

hummingbird

/ ˈ��ʌ��ɪŋˌ��ɜː�� /

noun

any very small American bird of the family Trochilidae, having a brilliant iridescent plumage, long slender bill, and wings specialized for very powerful vibrating flight: order Apodiformes

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Word History and Origins

Origin of hummingbird¹

An Americanism dating back to 1625–35; humming + bird

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

There are large mounds of California buckwheat, tall spires of sweet hummingbird sage and incandescently purple clusters of showy penstemon.

From

Now their gardens and the Coplens’ are alive with pollinators such as butterflies, bees and hummingbirds as well as other beneficial insects we don’t usually consider.

From

These plants tend to support specific, sometimes rare species of pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and moths, Andre said.

From

They were drawn to the Altadena foothills for the hummingbirds and the bats and the peacocks.

From

But for a hummingbird with a broken wing or a nestling with a missing mom, the situation is life-threatening.

From

humming hummingbird moth

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