noun

Hummel

HUHML

noun

An animal, such as a stag or cow, that lacks the horns or antlers normally expected of its kind.

"The farmer pointed out the hummel grazing quietly among the horned cattle."

Grain, such as barley or oats, that has lost its bristly awns, or a variety naturally bred without them.

"Hummel barley is easier to handle at harvest because it has no scratchy awns."

verb

To remove the horns from an animal, or strip the awns from grain.

"The farmhands spent the morning hummelling the last of the oats before milling."

How to Use Hummel

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes something — an animal or a cereal crop — that is naturally or artificially missing its horns or bristly bits.

When to use it

A dialect and agricultural term, most common in Scots and northern English farming speech.

Word Forms

hummeled past tense, hummelled past tense, Hummels plural, hummels plural, hummels singular

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The farmer pointed out the _____ grazing quietly among the horned cattle.

Etymology

From an old Germanic root meaning "to mutilate or cut short," related to the English word "hamble" and to Low German and Bavarian words for hornless animals.

Rhymes for Hummel

pummel

See all rhymes for Hummel →