Also 7 buzze, 8 Sc. bizz, 7– buz. [f. BUZZ v.1]
1. A sibilant hum, such as is made by bees, flies, and other winged insects.
1645. Milton, Colast., Wks. (1851), 348. A Reply to the buzze of such a Drones nest.
1787. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Sir T. Banks & Emp. Morocco, 20. Prodigious was the buz about his ears.
1868. Allen & Pepys, in Phil. Trans., XCVIII. 262. That buzz in the ears which is noticed in breathing nitrous oxide.
1878. Gilder, Poet & Master, 17. The honey bees Swarm by with buzz and boom.
2. transf. The confused or mingled sound made by a number of people talking or busily occupied; busy talk, ‘hum’; hence, a condition of busy activity, stir, ferment.
1627. Feltham, Resolves, I. xv. Wks. (1677), 23. The frothy buzze of the world.
1629. Ford, Lover’s Mel., IV. ii. (1839), 17. The buzz of drugs, and minerals and simples.
1647. Cowley, Mistr., i. (1669), 22. The Crowd, and Buz, and Murmurings Of this great Hive, the City.
1678. Rymer, Trag. last Age Consid., 13. All the buz in Athens was now about vertue.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 403, ¶ 3. I found the whole … Room in a Buz of Politicks.
1760. Mrs. Delany, Autobiog. (1861), III. 604. The buz and bustle of unpacking.
1805. Southey, Madoc in W., viii. The clamour and the buz Ceased.
1824. Carlyle, W. Meister (1874), I. II. xi. 111. A buzz of joyful approbation rose from all the party.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 549. A buzz of conversation.
1875. Blackmore, Maid of Sker, lvii. 388. My brain was in a buzz.
3. fig. a. A groundless fancy, whim, ‘fad’: (cf. BEE1 5.) Obs. b. A busy rumor.
1605. Shaks., Lear, I. iv. 348. On euerie dreame, Each buz, each fancie.
1612. Chapman, Widowes T., Wks. 1873, III. 24. ’Twas but a buzz devised by him.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. xli. (1840), 106. This suspicion … though at first but a buzz, soon got a sting in the king’s head.
1646. Buck, Rich. III., III. 103. Buzes and quaint devises, to amaze the people.
1656. Finett, For. Ambass., 13. Some new buz gotten into his Braine.
1825. Cobbett, Rur. Rides, 23. A sort of buz got about.
4. Short for buzz-saw; see 5.
1823. Mechanic’s Mag., No. 7. 108. The Shakers sometimes made use of what he called a buzz to cut iron. He made a circular plate of soft sheet-iron, and put it in his lathe, which gave it a very rapid rotary motion.
5. Comb., as buzz-fly, a fly that buzzes, ? a blue-bottle; buzz-saw, a circular saw.
1848. E. A. Leatham, Charmione (1858), I. 250. Poor Demu sticks therein like a great greedy buzzfly, as he is.
1868. Pall Mall Gaz., 1843/2. The only food for buzz-flies.
1886. Sat. Rev., 31 July, 142. The characteristic and picturesque Americanism for a circular saw—‘a buzz saw.’
