humor Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
    witticism; wittiness; wit; humour.
  2. noun the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous
    sense of humor; sense of humour; humour.
    • she didn't appreciate my humor
    • you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor
  3. noun a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
    temper; humour; mood.
    • whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time
    • he was in a bad humor
  4. noun the quality of being funny
    humour.
    • I fail to see the humor in it
  5. noun (Middle Ages) one of the four fluids in the body whose balance was believed to determine your emotional and physical state
    humour.
    • the humors are blood and phlegm and yellow and black bile
  6. noun the liquid parts of the body
    bodily fluid; liquid body substance; humour; body fluid.
  7. verb put into a good mood
    humour.

WordNet

Hu"mor noun
Etymology
OE. humour, OF. humor, umor, F. humeur, L. humor, umor, moisture, fluid, fr. humere, umere, to be moist. See Humid.
Definitions
  1. Moisture, especially, the moisture or fluid of animal bodies, as the chyle, lymph, etc.; as, the humors of the eye, etc. ✍ The ancient physicians believed that there were four humors (the blood, phlegm, yellow bile or choler, and black bile or melancholy), on the relative proportion of which the temperament and health depended.
  2. (Med.) A vitiated or morbid animal fluid, such as often causes an eruption on the skin. "A body full of humors." Sir W. Temple.
  3. State of mind, whether habitual or temporary (as formerly supposed to depend on the character or combination of the fluids of the body); disposition; temper; mood; as, good humor; ill humor.
    Examine how your humor is inclined, And which the ruling passion of your mind. Roscommon.
    A prince of a pleasant humor. Bacon.
    I like not the humor of lying. Shak.
  4. pl. Changing and uncertain states of mind; caprices; freaks; vagaries; whims.
    Is my friend all perfection, all virtue and discretion? Has he not humors to be endured? South.
  5. That quality of the imagination which gives to ideas an incongruous or fantastic turn, and tends to excite laughter or mirth by ludicrous images or representations; a playful fancy; facetiousness.
    For thy sake I admit That a Scot may have humor, I'd almost said wit. Goldsmith.
    A great deal of excellent humor was expended on the perplexities of mine host. W. Irving.
    Syn. -- Wit; satire; pleasantry; temper; disposition; mood; frame; whim; fancy; caprice. See Wit.
Hu"mor transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Humored ; present participle & verbal noun Humoring
Definitions
  1. To comply with the humor of; to adjust matters so as suit the peculiarities, caprices, or exigencies of; to adapt one's self to; to indulge by skillful adaptation; as, to humor the mind.
    It is my part to invent, and the musician's to humor that invention. Dryden.
  2. To help on by indulgence or compliant treatment; to soothe; to gratify; to please.
    You humor me when I am sick. Pope.
    Syn. -- To gratify; to indulge. See Gratify.

Webster 1913