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Definition of "bumble" [bum•ble]

  • To speak in a faltering manner. (verb-intransitive)
  • To move, act, or proceed clumsily. See Synonyms at blunder. (verb-intransitive)
  • To bungle; botch. (verb-transitive)
  • To make a humming or droning sound; buzz. (verb-intransitive)
  • A humming or droning sound; a buzz. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "bumble" in a sentence
  • "Russian espionage of what the British call bumble and cock-up."
  • "For some species, such as bumble bees, this is the source of many of the males in the species."
  • "When you size up a bunch of aldermen or a new legislature, just remember the simple little fact of natural history that a "bumble" bee is always biggest right after it's hatched."