murmur, ŭris, n. (m.: murmur fit verus, Varr. ap. Non. 214, 14) [Sanscr. marmara, susurrus, murmur, and the Greek μορμύρω and μυρμύρω], a murmur, murmuring; a humming, roaring, growling, grumbling; a rushing, crashing, etc. (class.; syn.: fremitus, strepitus, fragor, stridor, susurrus): murmur populi, Liv. 45, 1: serpitque per agmina murmur. Verg. A. 12, 239: quanto porrexit murmure panem, Juv. 5, 67.
Of prayer, a low, indistinct tone: quos ubi placavit precibus et murmure longo, Ov. M. 7, 251; Juv. 10, 290.
Of the humming of bees: strepit omnis murmure campus, Verg. A. 6, 709.
Of the roar of a lion, Mart. 8, 55, 1; of the tiger: tigridis Hyrcanae jejunum murmur, Stat. Th. 12, 170.
Of inanimate things, a murmur, roar, rushing, crashing, crash, rumbling: nam et odor urbanitatis, et mollitudo humanitatis, et murmur maris, et dulcedo orationis sunt ducta a ceteris sensibus, Cic. de Or. 3, 40, 161: dare, to roar, Lucr. 6, 142: magno misceri murmure caelum, Verg. A. 4, 160: ventosum, the rushing wind, id. E. 9, 58.
Of thunder: exanimes primo murmure caeli, Juv. 13, 224.
Of a volcanic mountain: Aetnaei verticis, Suet. Calig. 51.
Of an earthquake, a roaring, rumbling: praecedit sonus, alias murmuri similis, alias mugitibus, aut clamori humano, armorumve pulsantium fragori, Plin. 2, 80, 82, § 193.
Of wind-instruments: cornuum, the sound, Hor. C. 2, 1, 17: inflati buxi, of the tibia, Ov. M. 14, 537: aurium, a singing in the ears, Plin. 28, 7, 21, § 75 (Jahn, animalia).
Trop.: contemnere murmura famae, Prop. 2, 5, 29; of a muttering, rebellious murmur: contra Dominum, Vulg. Exod. 16, 7; id. Act. 6, 1.