Definition of "um"

It's a great test of the claims of open-source gurus, who say that a self-motivated community can outcode any team working for a single employer—like, um, Microsoft.

2002, Newsweek, volume 140, page lxxx

"About the same, wherever you go," he agreed."Um," I said.

1963, Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle, Dell Publishing Co., Inc., page 65

While I was in her room, Sam walked by and said, “Um, I'm telling!”“You're telling what?” I asked.“You're reading Tori's journal,” she said.

2011, Kimberly Willis Holt, Piper Reed, Clubhouse Queen

Mair used to look after Laura. If anyone threatened to tease her, Mair would stand up straight, point her finger at the enemy and shout, 'Um! I'm telling on you!'

2021, Sarah Strangeways, The Gingerbread House, page 13

Meanwhile, in the popular mind umming was simply a bad habit, akin to spitting or picking one’s nose.

2007, Michael Erard, Um... Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean, page 136

“me heap brave—me talk to um white man so […] me good injun, like um white man, mebbe so, ugh!”

1871, “Grand camp meeting on Bear River”, in The Keepapitchinin‎, volume III, page 3