Hover

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: hov=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

Hover, n. [Etymol. doubtful.].

 A cover; a shelter; a protection.  Carew. C. Kingsley.  [1913 Webster]

Hover, v. i. [OE. hoveren, and hoven, prob. orig., to abide, linger, and fr. AS. hof house; cf. OFries. hovia to receive into one's house. See Hovel.].

•  To hang fluttering in the air, or on the wing; to remain in flight or floating about or over a place or object; to be suspended in the air above something.  [1913 Webster]

  "Great flights of birds are hovering about the bridge, and settling on it."  [1913 Webster]

  "A hovering mist came swimming o'er his sight."  [1913 Webster]
•  To hang about; to move to and fro near a place, threateningly, watchfully, or irresolutely.  [1913 Webster]

  "Agricola having sent his navy to hover on the coast."  [1913 Webster]

  "Hovering o'er the paper with her quill."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Hover, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 (of a bird, helicopter, etc.) remain in one place in the air.
2 (often foll. by about, round) wait close at hand, linger.
3 remain undecided.
--n.
1 hovering.
2 a state of suspense.

Idiom

hover-fly (pl. -flies) any fly of the family Syrphidae which hovers with rapidly beating wings.

Derivative

hoverer n.

Etymology

ME f. obs. hove hover, linger

THESAURUS

Hover

aeroplane, airlift, airplane, approach, around, ascend, aspire, await, back down, balance, balloon, be airborne, be imminent, be in store, become airborne, brew, clasp, claw skyward, cling to, come on, confront, cruise, dance, debate, deliberate, demur, draw near, draw nigh, draw on, drift, face, falter, fear, ferry, flicker, flit, flitter, float, flutter, fly, fly aloft, follow close upon, forthcome, gain altitude, gather, glide, go with, hang, hang about, hang around, hang back, hang over, hem and haw, hesitate, hop, hover over, huddle, hug, hug the shore, hum and haw, hydroplane, impend, jet, jib, keep close to, kite, leave the ground, levitate, lie by, lie over, linger, loiter, loom, lower, march with, menace, navigate, near, overhang, pause, plane, poise, ponder, pull back, retreat, rise, sail, sailplane, scruple, seaplane, shilly-shally, shy, soar, spire, stand by, stay inshore, stay near, stick at, stickle, stop to consider, straddle the fence, strain at, tailgate, take off, take the air, take wing, think twice about, threaten, volplane, wait, wing, withdraw, yield, zoom

ROGET THESAURUS

Hover

Irresolution

VB be irresolute, hang in suspense, keep in suspense, leave "ad referendum", think twice about, pause, dawdle, remain neuter, dillydally, hesitate, boggle, hover, dacker, hum and haw, demur, not know one's own mind, debate, balance, dally with, coquet with, will and will not, chaser-balancer, go halfway, compromise, make a compromise, be thrown off one's balance, stagger like a drunken man, be afraid, let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would', falter, waver vacillate, change, retract, fluctuate, pendulate, alternate, keep off and on, play fast and loose, blow hot and cold, shuffle, palter, blink, trim.

Height

VB be high, tower, soar, command, hover, hover over, fly over, orbit, be in orbit, cap, culminate, overhang, hang over, impend, beetle, bestride, ride, mount, perch, surmount, cover, overtop, stand on tiptoe, become high, grow higher, grow taller, upgrow, rise, send into orbit, render high, heighten.

Journey

VB travel, journey, course, take a journey, go a journey, take a walk, go out for walk, have a run, take the air, flit, take wing, migrate, emigrate, trek, rove, prowl, roam, range, patrol, pace up and down, traverse, scour the country, traverse the country, peragrate, circumambulate, perambulate, nomadize, wander, ramble, stroll, saunter, hover, go one's rounds, straggle, gad, gad about, expatiate, walk, march, step, tread, pace, plod, wend, go by shank's mare, promenade, trudge, tramp, stalk, stride, straddle, strut, foot it, hoof it, stump, bundle, bowl along, toddle, paddle, tread a path, take horse, ride, drive, trot, amble, canter, prance, fisk, frisk, caracoler, caracole, gallop, embark, board, set out, hit the road, get going, get underway, peg on, jog on, wag on, shuffle on, stir one's stumps, bend one's steps, bend one's course, make one's way, find one's way, wend one's way, pick one's way, pick one's way, thread one's way, plow one's way, slide, glide, coast, skim, skate, march in procession, file on, defile, go to, repair to, resort to, hie to, betake oneself to.

Navigation

VB sail, put to sea, take ship, get under way, set sail, spread sail, spread canvas, gather way, have way on, make sail, carry sail, plow the waves, plow the deep, plow the main, plow the ocean, walk the waters, navigate, warp, luff, scud, boom, kedge, drift, course, cruise, coast, hug the shore, hug the land, circumnavigate, ply the oar, row, paddle, pull, scull, punt, steam, swim, float, buffet the waves, ride the storm, skim, effleurer, dive, wade, fly, be wafted, hover, soar, flutter, jet, orbit, rocket, take wing, take a flight, take off, ascend, blast off, land, alight, wing one's flight, wing one's way, aviate, parachute, jump, glide.

Ascent

VB ascend, rise, mount, arise, uprise, go up, get up, work one's way up, start up, shoot up, go into orbit, float up, bubble up, aspire, climb, clamber, ramp, scramble, escalade, surmount, shin, shinny, shinney, scale, scale the heights, raise, elevate, go aloft, fly aloft, tower, soar, take off, spring up, pop up, jump up, catapult upwards, explode upwards, hover, spire, plane, swim, float, surge, leap.