humour

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Alternative spellings 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Derived terms 1.3.3 Translations 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Translations 1.5 See also 2 French 2.1 Pronunciation 2.2 Noun 2.2.1 Related terms 3 Italian 3.1 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Alternative spellings

• humor (US)

[edit] Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈhjuː.mə(ɹ)/, SAMPA: /"hju:.m@(r)/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

humour (plural humours)

1. (obsolete) Moist vapour, moisture.
2. (archaic or historical) Any of the fluids in an animal body, especially the four "cardinal humours" of blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm that were believed to control the health and mood of the human body.
   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Book I, New York 2001, p. 147:

     A humour is a liquid or fluent part of the body, comprehended in it, for the preservation of it; and is either innate or born with us, or adventitious and acquisite.

   • M. Le Page Du Pratz, History of Louisisana (PG), p. 40:

     For some days a fistula lacrymalis had come into my left eye, which discharged an humour, when pressed, that portended danger.

3. Either of the two regions of liquid within the eyeball, the aqueous humour and vitreous humour.
4. One's state of mind or disposition; one's mood.

   He was in a particularly vile humour that afternoon.

5. The quality in events, speech or writing which is seen as funny, or creates amusement, such as a joke, satire, parody, etc.

[edit] Synonyms

• (archaic: four fluids): bodily fluid
• (mood): mood
• (something funny): comedy, wit, witticism

[edit] Derived terms

• humoral
• humorous
• black humour
• sense of humour
• toilet humour

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to humour (third-person singular simple present humours, present participle humouring, simple past and past participle humoured)

1. (transitive) To pacify by indulging.

   I know you don't believe my story, but humour me for a minute and imagine it to be true.

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• Wikipedia article on humour

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[edit] French

[edit] Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

humour m. (plural humours)

1. humor; comic effect in a communication or performance.

[edit] Related terms

• humoriste
• humoristique

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[edit] Italian

[edit] Noun

humour m. inv.

1. sense of humour