\Hum"ble\, 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; not pretentious or
   magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; as, a humble
   cottage.
         THy humble nest built on the ground.  --Cowley.
2. 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; waek; modest.
         God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
         humble.                               --Jas. iv. 6.
         She should be humble who would please. --Prior.
         Without a humble imitation of the divine Author of
         our . . . religion we can never hope to be a happy
         nation.                               --Washington.
{Humble plant} (Bot.), a species of sensitive plant, of the
   genus {Mimosa} ({M. sensitiva}).
{To eat humble pie}, to endure mortification; to submit or
   apologize abjectly; to yield passively to insult or
   humilitation; -- 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.

\Hum"ble\, a.
Hornless. See {Hummel}. [Scot.]

\Hum"ble\, 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.
         Here, take this purse, thou whom the heaven's
         plagues Have humbled to all strokes.  --Shak.
         The genius which humbled six marshals of France.
                                               --Macaulay.
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.
         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.