Humour Definition
humour
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English
Wikipedia has an article on: HumourAlternative forms
- humor (US)
Pronunciation
Noun
humour (plural humours)
- (obsolete) Moist vapour, moisture.
- (archaic or historical) Any of the fluids in an animal body, especially the four "cardinal humours" of blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm that were believed to control the health and mood of the human body.
- 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Book I, New York 2001, p. 147:
- A humour is a liquid or fluent part of the body, comprehended in it, for the preservation of it; and is either innate or born with us, or adventitious and acquisite.
- M. Le Page Du Pratz, History of Louisisana (PG), p. 40:
- For some days a fistula lacrymalis had come into my left eye, which discharged an humour, when pressed, that portended danger.
- 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Book I, New York 2001, p. 147:
- Either of the two regions of liquid within the eyeball, the aqueous humour and vitreous humour.
- One's state of mind or disposition; one's mood.
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- He was in a particularly vile humour that afternoon.
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- The quality in events, speech or writing which is seen as funny, or creates amusement, such as a joke, satire, parody, etc.
Synonyms
- (archaic: four fluids): bodily fluid
- (mood): mood
- (something funny): comedy, wit, witticism
Derived terms
Verb
humour (third-person singular simple present humours, present participle humouring, simple past and past participle humoured)
- (transitive) To pacify by indulging.
- I know you don't believe my story, but humour me for a minute and imagine it to be true.
Translations
to pacify by indulging
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See also
- Wikipedia article on humour
French
Pronunciation
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audio (file)
Noun
humour m. (plural humours)
Related terms
Italian
Noun
humour m. inv.
- sense of humour
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