murmur
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Middle English murmur, murmor, murmour, from Old French murmure (modern French murmur), from Latin murmur (“‘murmur, humming, mutering, roaring, growling, rushing etc.’”). Reduplication points to imitative, onomatopoeic origin; cf. Sanskrit मर्मर (marmara), “‘rustling sound, murmur’”), Ancient Greek μορμύρω (mormúrō), “‘to roar, boil’”) and Lithuanian mùrmėti (“‘to mutter, murmur, babble’”).
[edit] Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA: /ˈmɜː(ɹ)ˌmə(ɹ)/, SAMPA: /"m3:(r)%m@(r)/
- Audio (US)help, file
- Rhymes: -ɜː(r)mə(r)
[edit] Noun
|
Singular |
Plural |
murmur (plural murmurs)
- (countable) Low or indistinct sounds or speech.
- A murmur arose from the audience.
- (medicine) The sound made by any condition which produces noisy, or turbulent, flow of blood through the heart.
- A muttered complaint or protest; the expression of dissatisfaction in a low muttering voice; any expression of complaint or discontent
- 1919, Boris Sidis, The Source and Aim of Human Progress:
- 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.
- 1919, Boris Sidis, The Source and Aim of Human Progress:
[edit] Translations
low sounds or speech
sound by turbulent flow of blood etc.
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
[edit] Verb
|
Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to murmur (third-person singular simple present murmurs, present participle murmuring, simple past and past participle murmured)
- (intransitive) to speak or make low, indistinguishable noise; to mumble
- I couldn't hear the words; he just murmured a lot.
- (intransitive) to utter words indistinctily; to mutter
- (intransitive) to grumble, complain, utter complaints in a low, muttering voice, or express complaint or discontent in general (+ at or against)
- The Jews then murmured at him (John VI. 41)
- (transitive) to utter indistinctly, mutter
- I...heard thee murmur tales of iron wars. (Shakespeare, 1 Hen. IV., II. 3.51)
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Synonyms
- See aslo Wikisaurus:mutter
[edit] Translations
to speak or make low, indistinguishable noise; to mumble
[edit] External links
heart murmur on Wikipedia.Wikipedia:heart murmur
[edit] References
- murmur in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- “murmur” in OED Online, Oxford University Press, 1989.