Hummel

Quick meaning: Hummel is a noun meaning (Northern England, Scotland, also attributive) A stag that has failed to grow antlers; a cow that has not developed horns.

Meaning

(Northern England, Scotland, also attributive) A stag that has failed to grow antlers; a cow that has not developed horns.

More Meanings

1. (also attributive) Especially in hummel corn: grain that lacks awns (beards or bristles), or has had its awns removed (barley, oats, etc.).
2. (transitive) Of an animal: to remove the horns; to poll.
3. (transitive) To separate (barley, oats, etc.) from the awns.

Example Sentences

Hummel-corn, s[ubstantive] That kind of grain which wants a beard, as pease, beans, &c.

The farmers ſervants who have families, and engage by the year, are called hinds, and receive 10 bolls oats, 2 bolls barley, and 1 boll peas, which two laſt articles are called hummel corn, […]

We have a stane o' meal a week, / An' five big bowes o' hummel corn; / Potatoes, coals, lint, a'thing free, / A soo, an' hens—a gude coo's grass— / There's little, to be sure, for tea, / But mony honest folk hae less.

Contrary to popular sporting belief[…], it has also been postulated that the reason for the hummel’s lack of antlers is not genetic, but relates to poor nutrition in the early stage of life, and a consequent failure to grow pedicles[…].

Word Forms

• hummels
• humble
• hummeling
• hummelling
• hummeled
• hummelled

Synonyms for hummel

Depending on context, synonyms include poll.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include hamel, muley, hoggaster, gummer, hogg, horn.

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