hummer

/ˈhʌm.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhʌm.ɚ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhə-mər/ (ame, mw)

hummer — noun

  • hummersingular
  • hummersplural

1. the trade name of a large, heavy off-road vehicle with four-wheel drive, origina

1.名詞C1
釋義

the trade name of a large, heavy off-road vehicle with four-wheel drive, originally built for the US military and later sold to ordinary buyers.

例句

Dario parked his black Hummer outside the small Italian restaurant on Fifth Avenue.

countable noun: park a Hummer

The film star arrived at the premiere in a bright yellow Hummer with tinted windows.

typical context: celebrity vehicle

同義詞
  • Humvee

    the military version that the civilian Hummer was based on

  • SUV

    broader category; an SUV is any sport utility vehicle, not specifically a Hummer

文法句型

a Hummer

drive a Hummer

用法筆記

Usually capitalised as 'Hummer' because it is a trade name; the lowercase form appears mainly in informal writing.

常見錯誤

❌I drive a small hummer to work.
✅I drive a small SUV to work.
💡a Hummer is specifically a large, heavy vehicle; the word does not mean any off-road car.

2. a person who sings a tune with the lips closed, making a low continuous sound in

2.名詞C1
釋義

a person who sings a tune with the lips closed, making a low continuous sound instead of pronouncing any words.

例句

Mizuki was a constant hummer, filling the kitchen with quiet melodies while she cooked.

countable: a constant hummer

Yara recognised her father as a steady hummer of old folk songs from his childhood.

pattern: hummer of [tune type]

同義詞
  • crooner

    sings softly with open lips, not closed-lip humming

文法句型

a hummer of [tune]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is rare in everyday speech, where speakers usually say 'someone who hums' instead of 'a hummer'.

常見錯誤

❌My sister is a good hummer in the church choir.
✅My sister sings well in the church choir.
💡'hummer' specifically means closed-lip humming, not full singing.

3. in baseball, an informal word for a very fast straight pitch thrown as hard as t

3.名詞C1
釋義

in baseball, an informal word for a very fast straight pitch thrown as hard as the pitcher can throw it.

例句

Diego struck out the final batter with a hummer down the middle of the plate.

collocation: strike out with a hummer

The young pitcher from Osaka surprised everyone by throwing a hummer in the ninth inning.

pattern: throw a hummer

同義詞
  • fastball

    the standard, neutral term in baseball

  • heater

    another informal American baseball term for a fast pitch

反義詞
  • curveball

    a pitch thrown with spin so it curves rather than going fast and straight

文法句型

throw a hummer

a real hummer

用法筆記

Used mainly by American baseball commentators and players; British English speakers and non-baseball audiences will not recognise this sense.

常見錯誤

❌The cricket bowler threw a hummer.
✅The cricket bowler threw a fast ball.
💡'hummer' is baseball slang only; do not use it for cricket or other sports.