-humb-

a. [ Compar. Humbler superl. Humblest ] [ F., fr. L. humilis on the ground, low, fr. humus the earth, ground. See Homage, and cf. Chameleon, Humiliate. ] 1. Near the ground; not high or lofty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy humble nest built on the ground. Cowley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; modest; as, a humble cottage. Used to describe objects. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Thinking lowly of one's self; claiming little for one's self; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; thinking one's self ill-deserving or unworthy, when judged by the demands of God; lowly; weak; modest. Used to describe people. [ 1913 Webster ]

God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Jas. iv. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

She should be humble who would please. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Without a humble imitation of the divine Author of our . . . religion we can never hope to be a happy nation. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

Humble plant (Bot.), a species of sensitive plant, of the genus Mimosa (Mimosa sensitiva). --
To eat humble pie, to endure mortification; to submit or apologize abjectly; to yield passively to insult or humiliation; -- a phrase derived from a pie made of the entrails or humbles of a deer, which was formerly served to servants and retainers at a hunting feast. See Humbles. Halliwell. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Hornless. See Hummel. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Humbled p. pr. & vb. n. Humbling ] 1. To bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or exaltation of; to lower; to abase; to humilate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Here, take this purse, thou whom the heaven's plagues
Have humbled to all strokes. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The genius which humbled six marshals of France. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiently of; to make meek and submissive; -- often used rexlexively. [ 1913 Webster ]

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you. 1 Pet. v. 6.

Syn. -- To abase; lower; depress; humiliate; mortify; disgrace; degrade. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. humbilbee, hombulbe; cf. D. hommel, G. hummel, OHG. humbal, Dan. humle, Sw. humla; perh. akin to hum. √15. Cf. Bumblebee. ] (Zool.) The bumblebee. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Humble + -head. ] Humble condition or estate; humility. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being humble; humility; meekness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, humbles some one. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ See Nombles. ] Entrails of a deer. [ Written also umbles. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]