Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- interj. Used to express doubt or uncertainty or to fill a pause when hesitating in speaking.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Same as om.
- n. 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.
Wiktionary
- interj. Expression of confusion or space filler in conversation. See uh.
- v. To make the um sound to express confusion or hesitancy.
- n. A micrometer.
Examples
“Further and further away we started finding some success.. however unfortunately.. for our um personal..um reasons.. those we chose not to stay at.”
“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.
“Lady: Uh .. um … well, I’m trying to … I mean, no ma’am there is no Lakisha here….um….”
“Japhet," replied Mr Cophagus; "um, scriptural -- Shem, Ham, _um_ -- and so on.”
“If I may please, didn't Cain ... um .... murder Abel?”
“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).”
“I'm 47 in um .. 11 days and keep telling everyone I'm 'knocking 50'.”
“I found certain um, scenes in the beginning very disturbing.”
“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
“Powders put in um, sensitive areas, will burn, sting and be uncomfortable with those essential oils.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘um’.
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Sounds often heard during a search for a hard t...
um, er, hmm, ah, well, �?��?��?�, erm, uh, um-um-um, ehm, anu, gizmo and 11 more...
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I speak Warhol
Words that make me think of Andy Warhol, for whatever reason.
pop, gee, factory, superstar, screen test, silver, silkscreen, Sleep, soup, Marilyn Monroe, speed, voyeur and 23 more...
yarb "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 Jul 30, 2008