Meaning
A din or confused noise, as of many voices, birdsong, etc.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English chirmen (“to chirp, twitter”), from Old English ċirman (“to make a noise, cry out, shout”), from Proto-West Germanic *karmijan (“to make a sound”). The noun is from Middle English chirm (“the call of various birds; chirping”), from Old English ċirm, ċyrm, ċearm (“noise, cry, alarm”), from Proto-West Germanic *karmi, *karm, from Proto-Germanic *karmaz, *karmiz. Doublet of charm (“sound, voices; group, flock”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025.