Definition

Noun: 1. A low, continuous, indistinct sound: A soft, steady sound that is difficult to hear clearly or distinguish individual parts of, often produced by a crowd or natural elements. 2. Specifically, the sound of a flock of starlings: The collective rustling, chirping, and wing-beat sounds made by a large, dense flock of starlings, especially when flying or gathering.

Usage Examples

• General sound:
  • A gentle murmuration of the stream could be heard from the cabin.
  • The murmuration of the distant crowd grew louder as we approached the square.
• Flock of starlings:
  • We stood in awe, listening to the murmuration of thousands of starlings as they swirled in the evening sky.
  • The murmuration above the reed beds was a symphony of soft chirps and fluttering wings.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative use for soft, collective activity: The word can be used poetically to describe any soft, continuous, and collective sound or movement that resembles that of a flock.
  • The murmuration of leaves in the autumn wind.
  • A murmuration of whispers passed through the audience.

Variants and Related Words

• Murmur (verb/noun): The more common root word meaning to make a low, continuous sound or to speak quietly and indistinctly.
  • The patients murmured in their sleep.
• Murmurous (adjective): Characterized by or making a murmur.
  • The murmurous sound of the forest.

Synonyms

• Mutter: A low, indistinct sound, often of complaint or speaking.
• Buzz: A low, continuous humming sound.
• Hum: A low, steady continuous sound.
• Rustle: A soft, muffled crackling sound like that of leaves or paper.

Notes on Meaning

The primary meaning is a low, continuous, indistinct sound. Its specific association with a flock of starlings is a beautiful and precise application of this definition to a natural phenomenon, where the collective sound of the birds creates exactly that kind of soft, blurred noise. The word evokes a sense of something both collective and gentle.

Noun

1. a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech