buzz
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
Etymology: From Middle English *bussen (suggested by Middle English bussyng (“buzzing”)), of onomatopoeic origin. Cognate with Scots bizz (“to buzz”). Compare Middle English bunning (“buzzing”), Middle English hossing (“buzzing”), Middle English bissen (“to hush”).
Inflected forms:
form: buzzes
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: buzzes
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: buzzing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: buzzed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: buzzed
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: A continuous humming noise, as of bees; a confused murmur, as of general conversation in low tones.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Immediately there was a ringing and a singing in the hills, and then a whispering and a lisping and a whiz and a buzz all about him, for the little people were now some whirling round and round in the dance, and others sporting and tumbling about in the moonshine, and playing a thousand merry pranks and tricks.
In the steady buzz of flies the homeward-bound agent was lying flushed and insensible[.]
This probably explains the interest in UVB-76, or “The Buzzer,” a mysterious shortwave radio station that has been operating since 1982 and whose output consists of a monotonous buzz repeated 24 hours a day, occasionally interrupted by a Russian voice.
gloss: A whisper.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: The audible friction of voiced consonants.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A rush or feeling of energy or excitement; a feeling of slight intoxication.
pos: noun
tags: countable
informal
uncountable
examples: Still feeling the buzz from the coffee, he pushed through the last of the homework.
gloss: A telephone call or e-mail.
pos: noun
tags: countable
informal
uncountable
examples: Now, don't waste time, give us a buzz -- quick! 825-4703 or 265-7881.
gloss: Major topic of conversation; widespread rumor; information spread behind the scenes.
pos: noun
tags: countable
informal
uncountable
examples: Mr. Hall? The buzz on Christian is that his parents have joint custody, so he'll be spending one semester in Chicago and one semester here.
I wasn't performing with Pimp and Smoove that much no more, but I had a solo deal with Ruthless Rap and a brand new mixtape that was creating a big buzz.
In Detroit, the buzz is that he's too nice a guy, unwilling to impose draconian job cuts at the risk of angering the UAW.
Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Who's he?
Patrick: He's only the most popular kid in school.
Allen Gregory: Ah, the two heavyweights finally meet. Sure you're tired of all the buzz. Allen Gregory DeLongpre.
gloss: Synonym of fizz-buzz (“counting game”).
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
gloss: To make a low, continuous, humming or sibilant sound, like that made by bees with their wings.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: Ah! the singing, fatal arrow, / Like a wasp it buzzed, and stung him [a roebuck]!
So that now the universe has escaped from the pin which was pushed through it, like an impaled fly vainly buzzing: now that the multiple universe flies its own complicated course quite free, and hasn't got any hub, we can hope also to escape.
gloss: To make a low, continuous, humming or sibilant sound, like that made by bees with their wings.
pos: verb
tags: broadly
intransitive
examples: However these disturbers of our peace / Buzz in the people's ears.
gloss: To make a low, continuous, humming or sibilant sound, like that made by bees with their wings.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: But I tell you this has set all London buzzing. The old man is where he likes to be, with a pin-point limelight right on his hairy old head.
gloss: To make a low, continuous, humming or sibilant sound, like that made by bees with their wings.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: A fly was buzzing past me.
The flies, lethargic with the autumn, were beginning to buzz into the room.
gloss: To show a high level of activity and haste, energization or excitement, to be busy as a bee in one’s actions but perhaps mentally charged.
pos: verb
tags: colloquial
gloss: To whisper; to communicate, as tales, in an undertone; to spread, as a report, by whispers or secretly.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: I will buzz abroad such prophecies / That Edward shall be fearful of his life.
gloss: To talk to incessantly or confidentially in a low humming voice.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: To fly at high speed and at a very low altitude over (an area), as to make a surprise pass.
pos: verb
tags: also
figuratively
transitive
examples: […] an asteroid a mere 15-20 metres across exploded with the force of a medium-sized atom bomb over Chelyabinsk, in Russia, and another, much larger one buzzed Earth a few hours later.
gloss: To cut (the hair) in a close-cropped military style, or buzzcut.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Deacon said, “You used to beg me to let you buzz your hair when you were little.” “And then I grew up and realized how awful you looked when you buzzed yours.”
gloss: To throw swiftly.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: I have mentioned her deft hand with a stone — well, as soon as our backs were turned she buzzed a stone to clip Joe's ear.
gloss: To drink to the bottom.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
transitive
examples: He buzzed the bottle with such a hearty good will as settled the fate of another, which Soapey rang for as a matter of course. There was but the rejected one, which however Spigot put into a different decanter and brought in […]
gloss: To communicate with (a person) by means of a buzzer.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Then one day my secretary buzzed me and said Frank Sinatra was on the phone. When I picked up the phone it was the Chief who played dumb and would not admit that he said he was Frank Sinatra.
Derived words: abuzz
bizz-buzz
buzz about
buzzbait
buzz bar
buzz bomb
buzz-bomb
buzz button
buzz cut
buzzie
buzz in
buzzin' dozen
buzzkill
buzzle
buzzless
buzzlike
buzz off
buzz-phrase
buzz pollination
buzz-saw
buzz saw
buzzsaw
buzz score
buzz session
buzzstorm
buzz track
buzz up
buzzword
buzz-word
buzz word
buzzworm
buzzworthy
buzzy
catch a buzz
fizz-buzz
give someone a buzz
glacial buzz saw
hum-buzz
love buzz
outbuzz
Translations:
lang: Albanian
word: zukat
lang: Albanian
word: gumëzhij
lang: Arabic
word: طَنَّ
roman: ṭanna
lang: Bulgarian
word: бръмча
roman: brǎmča
lang: Bulgarian
word: жужа
roman: žuža
lang: Catalan
word: brunzir
lang: Catalan
word: brumir
lang: Czech
word: bzučet
lang: Dutch
word: zoemen
lang: Esperanto
word: zumi
lang: Finnish
word: surista
lang: Finnish
word: siristä
lang: Finnish
word: inistä
lang: French
word: bourdonner
lang: Galician
word: zoar
lang: Gallo
word: brunder
lang: German
word: brummen
lang: German
word: summen
lang: German
word: surren
lang: Hebrew
word: זמזם
roman: zimzém
lang: Hungarian
word: zümmög
lang: Indonesian
word: berdengung
lang: Indonesian
word: berdenging
lang: Ingrian
word: pörissä
lang: Javanese
word: mbengung (krama/ngoko)
lang: Latin
word: bombiō
lang: Macedonian
word: брмчи
roman: brmči
lang: Macedonian
word: зуи
roman: zui
lang: Māori
word: wheo
lang: Māori
word: wheowheo
lang: Māori
word: hohō
lang: Māori
word: rangorango
lang: Māori
word: tamumu
lang: Māori
word: tara
lang: Māori
word: rorohū
lang: Norman
word: bourdonner
lang: Polish
word: bzyczeć
lang: Polish
word: bzykać
lang: Polish
word: bzyknąć
lang: Polish
word: bąkać
lang: Polish
word: bąknąć
lang: Portuguese
word: zumbir
lang: Portuguese
word: zunir
lang: Romanian
word: bâzâi
lang: Russian
word: жужжа́ть
roman: žužžátʹ
lang: Russian
word: гуде́ть
roman: gudétʹ
lang: Sanskrit
word: गुञ्जति
roman: guñjati
lang: Slovak
word: bzučať
lang: Spanish
word: zumbar
lang: Spanish
word: abejorrear
lang: Spanish
word: zurrir
lang: Swedish
word: surra
lang: Swedish
word: ina
lang: Turkish
word: cızırdamak
lang: Turkish
word: cızıldamak
lang: Turkish
word: vızıldamak
lang: Turkish
word: vızlamak
lang: Ukrainian
word: гуді́ти
roman: hudíty
lang: Ukrainian
word: дзижча́ти
roman: dzyžčáty