hover

[ˈhɒ.və(ɹ)]

[ˈhʌ.vɚ]

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hovering - hover

Hover is when something floats or stays close to something else, but isn't touching.

You might see people hover around food at a buffet, carefully taking small bites without eating too much. They might also hover their phone above a charger to make sure it's aligned properly before putting it down. Some planes can even hover in the air for a short time using special technology.

How common is "hover"?

Word hover is considered uncommon in modern English.
It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.

Definitions

noun

The act of hovering

verb

To float in the air.
Example: The hummingbird hovered by the plant.
To linger or hang in one place, especially in an uncertain manner.
Example: His pen hovered above the paper.
To waver, or be uncertain.
Example: Filling in the voting form, I hovered between Labour and Liberal Democrat.
To place the cursor over a hyperlink or icon without clicking.
Example: A tooltip appears when you hover over this link.

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Real examples of "hovering" in context

Could Jack Have Survived on the Titanic Raft? | MythBusters | Discovery

Entertainment

Well, it turns out there were really good records from the night of the sinking, and the water temperature would have been hovering just below freezing, so around 28, 29 degrees Fahrenheit.

7:46