I. ˈbəz verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle English bussen, of imitative origin
intransitive verb
1. : to make a steady rasping low-pitched sound like that made by a flying insect
flies darted and buzzed above the sorry nags — Kenneth Roberts
2. archaic : to speak in a muttering or half-whispering way especially so as to irritate or incite one
disturbers of our peace buzz in the people's ears — Shakespeare
3. : to make a confused sibilant noise of many people talking at once
the village buzzed with excitement at the news
4.
a. : to move about like or with the sound of flying insects
delegates buzzing about in a convention
b. : to go quickly : dart , whiz — often used with off
buzzing off to New York for a weekend
c. : to act in an ineffectually busy or agitated manner
the forest seemed a vast hive of men buzzing about in frantic circles — Stephen Crane
d. : to move or travel with the steady rapidity of a motor
buzzing along superhighways
5. : to make a signal with a buzzer
buzzed for his secretary
transitive verb
1.
a. : to tell with an air of suppressed excitement, secrecy, or urgency : to spread as gossip or rumor
I will buzz abroad such prophecies — Shakespeare
b. : to express with buzzing
the committee buzzed its indignation
2.
a. : to cause to buzz
a fly buzzed its wings
b. : to summon or signal by buzzing
buzzed the control room to make his report
c. slang : to call on the telephone
I'll buzz you in the morning
3. dialect chiefly England : to throw violently : fling
4. dialect England : to drink to the last drop : finish the contents of
get some more port whilst I buzz his bottle — W.M.Thackeray
5. : to cut with a buzz saw
6. : to dive and fly low and fast over
two United States Air Force planes buzzed the crowd to add glory to the ceremony — T.H.White b.1915
7. : to ask questions of : interview
II. noun
( -es )
1. : the insistent rasping sound characteristic of flying insects : a sound produced by very fast irregular pulsations : a sibilant hum
the angry buzz of a bluebottle fly
2. : a noisy vibration or very rapid flutter especially of a poorly functioning mechanical part
a badly tracking phonograph needle will make a buzz
a buzz developing in the ailerons of a plane at high speed
3.
a. : a confused sibilant murmuring of many voices especially in suppressed excitement
a buzz went through the crowded courtroom
b. : a sound of busy activity : stir : continuous bustle
4. : rumor , gossip , news
5. phonetics
a. : the friction that characterizes the utterance of a fricative consonant ; also : the combined sound of friction and of vocal-cord vibration that characterizes a voiced fricative
b. : a fricative especially when voiced ; specifically : z — compare hiss
6. slang : a call on the telephone
I'll give you a buzz some time tomorrow
7. : a game in which players quickly count round in turn, a player whose turn comes at a number containing 7 or at a multiple of 7 being required to say “buzz” instead of the number
8. or buzz step : a square-dance step in which one foot is kept firmly on the floor and the other is used for a series of pushes to effect the in-place pivot used in swinging one's partner
9. slang : a reaction from alcohol or narcotics
had a good buzz on
also : pleasurable excitement
the kids will love this toy and adults will get a buzz out of it too
III. noun
( -es )
Etymology: perhaps alteration of burrs, plural of burr (I)
1. dialect England : the bur of a plant
2. : a bushy fishing fly
IV. noun
: fad : craze