murmur
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: cardiology
medicine
sciences
Etymology: From Middle English murmur, murmor, murmour, from Old French murmure (modern French murmure), from Latin murmur (“murmur, humming, muttering, roaring, growling, rushing etc.”).
Inflected forms:
form: murmurs
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: murmurs
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: murmuring
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: murmured
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: murmured
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: Any low, indistinct sound, like that of running water.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: The delightful murmur of water running over pebbles is heard a few yards off
1979: A translation of the Eclogues by Paul Alpers
The windy murmur of the breeze subsides.
gloss: Soft indistinct speech.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: A murmur arose from the audience.
She howl'd aloud, “I am on fire within. / There comes no murmur of reply. / What is it that will take away my sin, / And save me lest I die?”
In the prison of the 'tween decks reigned a darkness pregnant with murmurs. The sentry at the entrance to the hatchway was supposed to "prevent the prisoners from making a noise," but he put a very liberal interpretation upon the clause, and so long as the prisoners refrained from shouting, yelling, and fighting--eccentricities in which they sometimes indulged--he did not disturb them.
The moment had come for the honeyed word. I lowered my voice to a confidential murmur, but on her inquiring if I had laryngitis raised it again.
[President Trump's firing of a dozen inspectors general] seems to have violated a law requiring that he provide 30 days’ notice, and set off a rare murmur of dissent from Capitol Hill Republicans.
gloss: The sound made by any condition which produces a noisy, or turbulent, flow of blood through the heart.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Since aortic diastolic pressure is higher than pulmonary artery systolic pressure, there is continuous flow into the pulmonary circulation, creating the characteristic continuous ("machinery") murmur, heard best just below the left clavicle.
gloss: A muttered complaint or protest; the expression of dissatisfaction in a low muttering voice; any expression of complaint or discontent.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: In fear of disease and in the interest of his health man will be muzzled and masked like a vicious dog, and that without any murmur of complaint.
Glossop will return from his afternoon off to find the awful majesty of the Law waiting for him, complete with handcuffs. We can hardly expect him to accept an exemplary sentence without a murmur, so his first move will be to establish his innocence by revealing all.
gloss: To grumble; to complain in a low, muttering voice, or express discontent at or against someone or something.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
intransitive
examples: The Iewes then murmured at him because he sayde: I am that breed which is come doune from heaven.
And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.
gloss: To speak or make low, indistinguishable noise; to mumble, mutter.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: I couldn't hear the words; he just murmured a lot.
The bees murmured in the forest. The waves murmured on the shore.
“Oh yes,” he murmured in a tone of obligatory surprise, as he proceeded to make the kind of 2 which he attributed to Margaret's style of chirography.
gloss: To say (something) indistinctly, to mutter.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: I […] heard thee murmur tales of iron wars;
Gabriel murmured a confused reply, and hastened on.
With a husky voice she murmured that he was the very dearest grandfather anyone ever had.
“[…] Don’t look now,” he murmured, lowering his eyes demurely, “but the most handsome man in Brookfield, Connecticut, has just walked in the room.”
Synonyms: murmur
murmuration
susurration
susurrus
Antonyms: din
silence
Related words: humming
Derived words: heart murmur
murmurish
Still's murmur
without a murmur
murmuration
murmurer
murmuring
murmuringly
murmurless
murmurous
remurmur
unmurmured
unmurmuring
Translations:
lang: Central Bikol
word: ngurubngurob
lang: Bulgarian
word: шепот
roman: šepot
lang: Catalan
word: mormoleig
lang: Catalan
word: murmuri
lang: Catalan
word: remor
lang: Czech
word: šepot
lang: Czech
word: šeptání
lang: Danish
word: mumlen
lang: Dutch
word: geroezemoes
lang: Finnish
word: mumina
lang: Finnish
word: mutina
lang: Finnish
word: kohina
lang: French
word: murmure
lang: French
word: rumeur
lang: German
word: Gemurmel
lang: German
word: Murmeln
lang: German
word: Raunen
lang: Greek
word: μουρμουρητό
roman: mourmouritó
lang: Greek
word: μουρμούρισμα
roman: mourmoúrisma
lang: Ancient Greek
word: θρῦλος
roman: thrûlos
lang: Hungarian
word: mormolás
lang: Italian
word: mormorio
lang: Italian
word: brusio
lang: Italian
word: sussurro
lang: Latin
word: murmur
lang: Macedonian
word: ше́пот
roman: šépot
lang: Māori
word: wawaro
lang: Māori
word: warowaro
lang: Māori
word: hiarea
lang: Persian
word: زمزمه
roman: zemzeme
lang: Polish
word: pomruk
lang: Polish
word: mruczenie
lang: Portuguese
word: murmúrio
lang: Romanian
word: freamăt
lang: Russian
word: бормота́ние
roman: bormotánije
lang: Russian
word: ро́пот
roman: rópot
lang: Swedish
word: mummel
lang: Turkish
word: homurdanma
lang: Turkish
word: homurtu
lang: Turkish
word: mırıldanma
lang: Welsh
word: murmur