US /ˈbɒmbɪneɪt/ UK /ˈbɒmbɪneɪt/
verb

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    rare: to make a continuous buzzing, humming, or droning sound

    Bees bombinate among the flowering vines on warm afternoons.

  2. 2
    verb

    rare and figurative: to speak at length in a loud, monotonous, or empty way

    The pompous lecturer continued to bombinate long after his argument had run out.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 verb · rare: to make a continuous... buzzhumdrone
2 verb · rare and figurative: to... dronepontificateblather
Opposites
fall silent
Word family
Forms bombinating
Derived forms bombinationbombinator
Related forms bombilationbuzzhum

Etymology

From Medieval Latin bombinare, 'to buzz or hum,' a variant related to Latin bombilare and Greek bombos, 'booming or humming.' The sound-imitating base also encouraged the figurative sense of droning or pompous speech.

Topics

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