Word of the Day: Hover

hover

hov-er / hŭv-ər, hŏv-ər

verb

1. to remain suspended floating, flying, or fluttering in the air

And to lose the chance to see frigatebirds soaring in circles above the storm, or a file of pelicans winging their way homeward across the crimson afterglow of the sunset, or a myriad terns flashing in the bright light of midday as they hover in a shifting maze above the beach — why, the loss is like the loss of a gallery of the masterpieces of the artists of old time.

Theodore Roosevelt, 1858 – 1919

2. to linger in or near a particular location

Do not hover always on the surface of things, nor take up suddenly with mere appearances; but penetrate into the depth of matters, as far as your time and circumstances allow, especially in those things which relate to your profession.

Isaac Watts, 1674 – 1748

3. to waver; to remain in an indecisive state

I hover over the expensive Scotch and then the Armagnac, but finally settle on a glass of rich red claret.

From “The Gone-Away World” by Nick Harkaway, 1972 –

4. using a computer, to position a mouse pointer over a particular area of the screen, without clicking, so that a pop-up box, menu, information box, etc. appears

When the user “hovers,” or pauses the mouse over an image, additional information about the image is revealed, such as the name of the photo or copyright information.

www.bobology.com/public/What-is-a-Mouse-Over-or-Mouse-Hover.cfm, accessed March 8, 2023