Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- interjection Used to express doubt or uncertainty or to fill a pause when hesitating in speaking.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A prefix of Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian origin, meaning ‘around, about,’ cognate with ambi- and amphi-. It was formerly common, but is now wholly obsolete, except in a few Scotch words.
- noun Same as
om .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- preposition Alternative form of
umbe . - noun Alternative spelling of
µm . - interjection
Expression ofconfusion or space filler inconversation . Seeuh . - verb intransitive To make the um sound to express confusion or hesitancy.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Further and further away we started finding some success.. however unfortunately.. for our um personal..um reasons.. those we chose not to stay at.
Archive 2008-09-01 Military Mom 2008
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I will……um……..send…….um…….the ACLU a um, um Christmas card………um…..because…..um…….they exist?
Think Progress » The solution for all your holiday shopping problems. 2006
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Lady: Uh .. um … well, I’m trying to … I mean, no ma’am there is no Lakisha here….um….
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"Japhet," replied Mr Cophagus; "um, scriptural -- Shem, Ham, _um_ -- and so on.
Japhet in Search of a Father Frederick Marryat 1820
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"Japhet," replied Mr Cophagus; "um, scriptural -- Shem, Ham, _um_ -- and so on.
Japhet, in Search of a Father Frederick Marryat 1820
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If I may please, didn't Cain ... um .... murder Abel?
Guest Author: S.J. Day - Eve of Darkness Nalini Singh 2009
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This guy ... doesn't prescribe Lyrica, since it's a "newer drug that I don't know much about" (to which I was like, um, is it not your job to keep up on the newer drugs? and also Lyrica's been around for quite a while and is the medication most often used to treat my condition, dude), and doesn't prescribe "any sleep aids" (despite the very high comorbidity of insomnia).
Friday! gumboeditor 2009
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I'm 47 in um .. 11 days and keep telling everyone I'm 'knocking 50'.
How did that happen then? Newmania 2008
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I found certain um, scenes in the beginning very disturbing.
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If I'm wrong I apologize, but I call um as I see um.
Tell Congress to Go To Hell With their Current Health Reform 2009
yarb commented on the word um
"Faith, sir, I've-"
"Faith? What's that?"
"Why, faith, sir, it's only a sort of exclamation-like--that's all, sir."
"Um, um; go on."
- Melville, Moby-Dick, ch. 127
July 31, 2008